Prosecutors Charge Homeless Man in Walgreens Robberies

Hennepin County prosecutors on Tuesday charged a homeless Minneapolis man in connection with the Nov. 20 robbery of a Blake Road Walgreens pharmacy and the robbery of two more Walgreens in Minneapolis, said Chuck Laszewski, a Hennepin County Attorney’s Office spokesman.

Vincent Mark Smith, 25, faces one count of first-degree aggravated robbery and one count of second-degree aggravated robbery related to the Hopkins incident. He also has been charged with:

• Two counts of simple robbery,
• One more count of first-degree aggravated robbery and
• One more count of second-degree aggravated robbery.

In all, Smith is suspected of involvement in three robberies that took place Nov. 18, Nov. 20 and Nov. 23. Smith told police he robbed the first store “because he was desperate to sell the drugs for money,” according to charging documents.

Minneapolis Police arrested Smith on Saturday after a Walgreens clerk at the 5415 Lyndale Ave. S. location told officers someone matching the description of the person in the previous robberies had entered the store, Minneapolis Officer Frederick McDonald wrote in charging documents.

Officers arrived to find Smith wearing the same jacket and backpack as the suspect in the Nov. 23 robbery.

The spate of Walgreens robberies arrived in Hopkins on Nov. 20. An unidentified pharmacist at the Blake Road store told police a man approached the counter, displayed a charcoal-colored pistol and demanded Percocet and Xanax, Hopkins Officer Erik Husevold wrote in the charging documents. After the pharmacist gave the robber a bottle of Percocet and two bottles of Xanax, the suspect told her to relax, wished her a nice day and left the store.

Husevold interviewed Smith after the suspect’s arrest. The suspect told the officer he robbed the Blake Road Walgreens with a BB gun.

Three Walgreens employees who spoke to the suspect in the Nov. 18 robbery also identified Smith in a photo lineup.

First-degree aggravated robbery carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a $35,000 fine. Second-degree aggravated robbery carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison and a $30,000 fine.

Smith is being held on $200,000 bail. He's scheduled to appear in court at 1:30 p.m. Dec. 21.