SEGUIN, Texas – A Seguin pharmacist is urging other pharmacies to increase their security measures after being robbed at gunpoint by a suspect connected to other robberies in the area.
Merlin Tchawa Yinga, the manager of Seguin Pharmacy in the 200 block of East Court Street, said the robbery started after a woman asked him for a few things.
“It was Dec. 14, and about 10 minutes after I helped the lady, two men came in asking if I had any CBD product,” Tchawa Yinga said. “I went back behind the counter, and as I was showing them the CBD product, they pulled the gun on me and started the robbery.”
Tchawa Yinga said the men demanded he give them cash and various narcotics.
“They zip-tied me and left me in the pharmacy,” Tchawa Yinga said.
He was able to break free and call for help after the robbers got away.
“It was very scary,” he said. “That is something that has never happened to me before. Now, I know what is going on, and I am a little bit more prepared.”
Similarly, the same kind of robbery took place May 8 at 10 Minute Pharmacy, not far from Seguin Pharmacy.
Police say one of the suspects from the December robbery acted alone, robbing the pharmacist at gunpoint before tying them up with a rope.
“That just means that those guys are just looking for the next pharmacy to target and that they’ll come back,” he said. “Each pharmacy has to be waiting and have to be ready.”
Since that December robbery, Tchawa Yinga said he has increased his security, and he suggests other pharmacies do the same.
“I think other pharmacies have to devise a protocol,” he said. “I also think we need more patrolling from law enforcement.”
He said he is happy that more attention is being brought to the suspects responsible, but he won’t be fully happy until they are caught.
“Targeting those guys is not only the job of law enforcement, but it is also the job of the community,” Tchawa Yinga said. “If there is anyone out there that knows these people, come forward and let the police know so we can deal with them.”
He also had this to say to the suspects:
“I would tell them this business is not cutting it,” he said. “It is a very dangerous business. They need to change what they are doing and do something else.”
To send in your tips for a reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to a felony arrest, contact Guadalupe County Crime Stoppers at 877-403-TIPS (8477) or online at www.guadalupecountycrimestoppers.org.