Mohrmann’s burglars arrested

HEWITT — Five men were arrested Monday after a string of pharmacy burglaries including the break-in of Mohrmann’s Drug Store in Gonzales in February. Authorities think these incidents may be linked to numerous other burglaries in Central Texas and around the state.

Hewitt Police Chief Jim Devlin said the men — three from Houston and one from Austin — were arrested early Monday on Interstate 45 in Leon County.  The arrests came after a break-in at 5:45 a.m. at Lynn’s Pharmacy at 511 North Hewitt Dr.

A surveillance video showed a man using what appeared to be a hammer to smash the store’s drive-in window, but that they fled the scene instead of entering the store. “For whatever reason they decided not to make entry,” Devlin said. “I don’t know...why they didn’t get in there.”

The owner of the pharmacy added surveillance cameras because of repeated earlier break-ins, officials said. The video, along with other evidence obtained at the scene, gave police enough information to alert neighboring counties to be on the lookout for the four suspects.

Additionally, another law enforcement agency installed a GPS tracking device on the vehicle based on evidence linking the suspects to other burglaries in the state. The four were arrested about an hour-and-a-half later in Leon County.

Willie Dixon, 34, Christopher Walker, 29, Cornelius Bell, 32, and Calvin Clayton, 29, were transferred back to Waco and booked into McLennan County Jail. They were later released after posting $5,000 bonds.

An arrest warrant was later issued for a fifth suspect identified as Louis Dickerson Jr., 34. Dickerson also faces charges of engaging in criminal activity.

Gonzales Police Capt. Allen Taylor reported that at 5:12 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 12, officers were dispatched to Mohrmann’s Drug Store in reference to an alarm call.  Upon arrival, officers found that the store had been burglarized.  Officers cleared the building and found that the suspects had already fled the scene. The suspects tried to peel back the roof but were unsuccessful. Instead, they knocked a hole through the northwest side of the building, Taylor said.

 Suspects then made holes through the Sheetrock walls— gaining entry into the offices and the main area where the narcotics were kept.  Investigators found that the suspects entered the building between the hours of 6 p.m. Feb. 11 and 5:12 a.m. Feb. 12.

Officers also discovered severe damage to the building and that suspects had rummaged through several of the cabinets and drawers.

The burglars took several types of narcotics, along with currency, checks, and two weapons. Evidence was recovered from the scene that was later taken to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Crime Lab in Austin for processing. Taylor— along with Officers Alberto Carrera, Travis Sowell, Dustin Kincaid and J.D. Holt conducted the initial investigation. Officer Trey Tunis collected additional evidence away from the crime scene that revealed that the suspects headed north on Highway 97 toward Interstate 10.

During the seven-month investigation, several other pharmacy burglaries occurred throughout Texas and other states.  During the early stages of the investigation police found that the suspect’s vehicle was a black four-door truck. With the assistance from an employee with a local car dealership they learned that the suspect vehicle is a 2008 to 2010 Dodge Ram Crew Cab truck with distinctive markings on its side.

Taylor learned of eight pharmacy burglaries which occurred before and after Mohrmann’s burglary throughout the state, which were tied to the same suspect vehicle. Two of which were being investigated by Investigator Karen Box with the Robertson County Sheriff’s Office as well as other agencies in her area.

Box and investigators collected evidence from two burglaries that linked their suspects to the Mohrmann’s case, which lead to identifying the suspect vehicle and one possible suspect.  With the assistance of the Houston Police Department Gang Division, the suspect vehicle was located and monitored by the HPD.  

“On Monday, Sept. 14, with the assistance of [HPD], it was determined that the suspect vehicle was involved in another pharmacy burglary in Hewitt, and an attempted pharmacy burglary in Clifton,” Taylor said. “The Leon County Sheriff’s Department was notified immediately about the pharmacy burglaries which just occurred and was able to locate and stop the suspect vehicle, along with another vehicle.”

 A total of five suspects were arrested and taken to the Leon County Sheriff’s Department in Centerville for the Hewitt Police Department, which later in the day charged four subjects out of the five with Engaging in Criminal Activity in reference to the pharmacy burglary in Hewitt.

“This was a very lengthy Investigation which involved several officers with the Gonzales Police Department and several other outside agencies that I wish could be mentioned for their time and effort,” Taylor said, “but there were too many  to name. A special thanks goes out to Karen Box with the Robertson County Sheriff’s Department, The Houston Police Department Gang Division and the Gonzales County prosecutor’s office for bringing this investigation to a successful conclusion with charges being finally filed.”