Like A Trail Of Bread Crumbs, Empty Pill Bottles Lead Florida Police To Robbery Suspects After Opioid Heist

CLEARWATER (CBSMiami) – Three men accused of robbing a Florida drug store and stealing more than 10,000 opioid pills are under arrest after detectives were led to a home by a trail of empty pill bottles.

The robbery happened on New Year's Day. Investigators say three men robbed a CVS drugstore at gunpoint.

One suspect with a gun forced the pharmacist to open two safes where the opioid pills were kept. The other two suspects, also with a gun, confronted other store employees and tied them up.

The gunmen filled garbage bags full of the medication, and took off in a white Chrysler sedan. Nobody was hurt during the crime.

In the hours following the armed robbery, deputies found and followed a trail of empty medication bottles.

The empty bottles, like a trail of bread crumbs, led to a home where they found two men matching descriptions of the robbers seen on surveillance video, sheriff's officials said.

David Dobbins and Christopher Rachell, both 19, were taken into custody.

Investigators say video on Dobbins's cellphone helped deputies identify Roy Lampkin as the third suspect.  Detectives also found his fingerprints on evidence at the scene.

Rachell and Dobbins are each charged with trafficking in Hydrocodone and Oxycodone, false imprisonment and armed robbery. He is being held on $280,000 bond. Rachell is also charged with Oxycodone possession and is being held on $282,000 bond.

Lampkin was arrested on Feb. 5 and charged with drug trafficking. His bond is $500,000.