Woman charged with robbery of pharmacy

Officials say the woman took more than $6,000 worth of pills, then buried them in her back yard under her dead cat. ''I guess she thought we wouldn't dig,'' police said.

By BRADY DENNIS, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published February 14, 2002

ZEPHYRHILLS -- Authorities on Wednesday arrested a woman they say robbed a local pharmacy and buried more than $6,000 worth of stolen pills under her dead cat in her back yard.

Zephyrhills police officers said Lequita Chandler, 39, of 14050 11th St. in Dade City, robbed Florida Medical Clinic, 38135 Market Square Drive, just after 1:30 p.m.

Witnesses said she entered the store wearing black pants, a blue nylon ski jacket, a nylon knit stocking over her face and a black knit stocking on her head.

She had her hand in her jacket and claimed to have a gun, said Zephyrhills police Sgt. Randy Belasic.

She then demanded bottles of OxyContin and Percocet, which she was given by the pharmacist, whose name was not released.

Officers said Chandler then fled the store, but the pharmacist followed and saw her drive away in a red Chevrolet S-10 truck that had a black tool box attached and a dent in the driver's door.

Zephyrhills officers put out an alert. Within an hour, officers in Dade City saw the truck at Chandler's residence.

Reports stated that Chandler let deputies search her home and property. They turned up a bag full of pills -- valued at more than $6,000 -- buried under a dead cat in the back yard.

"I guess she thought we wouldn't dig," Belasic said.

Chandler faces charges of armed robbery and grand theft.

She was taken to the Zephyrhills Police Department and was scheduled to be taken to the Land O'Lakes jail late Wednesday.

Jail officials said no bail for Chandler had been set.

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