Warrant turns up 28 bottles of cough syrup in robbery suspect’s home

The Sheriff’s Office SWAT team arrested a man Tuesday morning who is suspected of robbing the Albertson’s pharmacy at 3010 E. 57th Avenue on April 8.

The night of the robbery a man showed a handgun to the pharmacist and demanded prescription cough medicine with Codeine, the sheriff’s office said in a news release. He was seen leaving the store in a black SUV.

Later that night the Washington State Patrol received a tip about a black SUV in the area of 51st Avenue and Madelia Street. Deputies found it parked with the doors locked and the headlights on. Two men approached the vehicle and they were questioned but let go because there was no immediate proof that they were involved, the sheriff’s office said.

One of the men was 21-year-old Samuel A. Branch. Deputies continued to investigate and served a search warrant on Branch’s home Tuesday morning. He was arrested on suspicion of first-degree robbery.

Deputies reportedly found clothing believed to be worn during the robbery and 28 empty bottles of prescription cough syrup inside the home.