Tip Leads To Arrest Of Walgreens Robbery Suspect
May 8, 2020 at 12:44 a.m.
Tip Leads To Arrest Of Walgreens Robbery Suspect
By Amanda [email protected]
Nickolus George Toepfer, 32, Shipshewana, was booked in the Kosciusko County Jail at 5:18 a.m. Tuesday and faces charges for possession of cocaine or a narcotic drug, a Level 3 felony; robbery, a Level 4 felony; along with a habitual offender enhancement charge.
According to the probable cause affidavit filed March 12 in Kosciusko Superior Court I, on Jan. 16 Warsaw police and Indiana State Police responded to the Warsaw Walgreens in reference to a robbery that had just occurred at the pharmacy.
Upon arrival, police spoke with employees, who said a man had come to the pharmacy counter wearing a stocking cap and dark coat and demanded they open up the safe and give him narcotics. The man also asked for methadone, according to court papers.
While pharmacy staff were asking the man what he wanted, the suspect reached into his pocket, causing employees to fear he may be armed.
The manager was able to open the safe and put various packages of methadone and morphine in a bag and gave it to the suspect. The suspect made off with more than 28 grams of narcotics, according to court papers.
Officers reviewed video surveillance from the store and determined the man had entered the store from the west at approximately 2:32 p.m., and after the altercation with the pharmacists, he fled westbound on food.
An ISP K-9 began a track on the suspect and was led to the Krebs Trailhead Park, where police located numerous unopened pill bottles taken in the robbery and a gray sock hat.
Pharmacy staff told police the suspect was a white male, approximately 5’8” tall and had a fading tattoo on the right side of his neck.
Police sent the found sock hat to the ISP DNA laboratory for testing, which returned to four unknown individuals, including one man, according to court papers. The DNA profile was then entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) for additional testing.
On March 5, police received an anonymous tip that Toepfer had warrants out of Indiana and Ohio, including charges from his alleged involvement in a robbert of a CVS Pharmacy in Butler.
When police pulled up Toepfer’s record, they realized he had a tattoo on the right side of his neck. Police took a photo line-up back to the Walgreens pharmacy manager that included Toepfer and five other white males who looked similar, according to the affidavit. The pharmacy employee positively identified Toepfer as the suspect who robbed the pharmacy, court papers state.
On March 10, police received information that the DNA test through CODIS came back and returned to Toepfer.
Toepfer is on bond for a Level 4 felony pharmacy robbery charge in another county. Between 2013 and 2018, he also was convicted for possession of cocaine or a narcotic drug, identity deception and possession of marijuana, all felonies.
Toepfer’s bond was set at $35,250.
Latest News
E-Editions
Nickolus George Toepfer, 32, Shipshewana, was booked in the Kosciusko County Jail at 5:18 a.m. Tuesday and faces charges for possession of cocaine or a narcotic drug, a Level 3 felony; robbery, a Level 4 felony; along with a habitual offender enhancement charge.
According to the probable cause affidavit filed March 12 in Kosciusko Superior Court I, on Jan. 16 Warsaw police and Indiana State Police responded to the Warsaw Walgreens in reference to a robbery that had just occurred at the pharmacy.
Upon arrival, police spoke with employees, who said a man had come to the pharmacy counter wearing a stocking cap and dark coat and demanded they open up the safe and give him narcotics. The man also asked for methadone, according to court papers.
While pharmacy staff were asking the man what he wanted, the suspect reached into his pocket, causing employees to fear he may be armed.
The manager was able to open the safe and put various packages of methadone and morphine in a bag and gave it to the suspect. The suspect made off with more than 28 grams of narcotics, according to court papers.
Officers reviewed video surveillance from the store and determined the man had entered the store from the west at approximately 2:32 p.m., and after the altercation with the pharmacists, he fled westbound on food.
An ISP K-9 began a track on the suspect and was led to the Krebs Trailhead Park, where police located numerous unopened pill bottles taken in the robbery and a gray sock hat.
Pharmacy staff told police the suspect was a white male, approximately 5’8” tall and had a fading tattoo on the right side of his neck.
Police sent the found sock hat to the ISP DNA laboratory for testing, which returned to four unknown individuals, including one man, according to court papers. The DNA profile was then entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) for additional testing.
On March 5, police received an anonymous tip that Toepfer had warrants out of Indiana and Ohio, including charges from his alleged involvement in a robbert of a CVS Pharmacy in Butler.
When police pulled up Toepfer’s record, they realized he had a tattoo on the right side of his neck. Police took a photo line-up back to the Walgreens pharmacy manager that included Toepfer and five other white males who looked similar, according to the affidavit. The pharmacy employee positively identified Toepfer as the suspect who robbed the pharmacy, court papers state.
On March 10, police received information that the DNA test through CODIS came back and returned to Toepfer.
Toepfer is on bond for a Level 4 felony pharmacy robbery charge in another county. Between 2013 and 2018, he also was convicted for possession of cocaine or a narcotic drug, identity deception and possession of marijuana, all felonies.
Toepfer’s bond was set at $35,250.
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092