Arrest made in robbery of Lee County pharmacy

LEESBURG — The suspected robber of a CVS Pharmacy on Highway 19 in Leesburg has been arrested in connection with the crime, Lee County Sheriff’s officials say.

Lewis Harris, chief deputy with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, said that Eric Kyle Newell, 26, entered the business around 9: 26 p.m. on Friday and requested narcotic drugs from the pharmacist. When the pharmacist told Newell the drugs would need to be special ordered, Newell passed a note to the pharmacist demanding cash, Harris said.

Witnesses later stated that as Newell spoke with the pharmacist, his right hand remained in his pocket, giving the impression the bandit was holding a weapon.

Officers say that when the pharmacist complied and gave Newell an undisclosed amount of cash, Newell warned the victim not to activate an alarm until Newell had exited the store or he would shoot the female cashiers.

After the suspect fled the scene, officials of the Georgia State Patrol, Albany Dougherty Drug Unit and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office cooperated to view pharmacy surveillance video and identify Newell from recent mug shots, Harris said.

Newell was arrested Saturday morning at his grandmother’s home on White Pond Road in Lee County, officials said, and will be charged with armed robbery.