Cape Coral police arrest man in CVS pharmacies thefts
Cape Coral police have arrested a Fort Myers man in connection with several thefts at CVS Pharmacy stores in Cape Coral and Fort Myers.
Albert Rowser, 35, of 1617 Red Cedar Drive #13, was charged with grand theft after he was identified as the person who stole two television sets from the CVS on Pine Island Road, officials said.
Cape Coral police were called to the CVS store at 1611 NE Pine Island Road at 8:50 a.m. on Oct. 10. An employee told officers he observed a man enter the store and take two, 17-inch Craig televisions off the shelf.
The man then ran from the store with the televisions and fled in a beige/gold Honda. The value of the televisions was $398.
Video surveillance of the suspect was provided to Cape police detectives.
During his investigation, Cape Police Det. Jason Hicks developed Albert Rowser as a potential suspect. On Nov. 2, Hicks and Det. Jazmin Correa met with the employee at CVS who identified Rowser as the man who stole the televisions from the store, officials said.
On Monday, Hicks and Correa then met with a detective with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, who advised them that he was investigating similar thefts at two CVS Pharmacy stores in Fort Myers.
In the past couple of months, the same vehicle was used in the commission of the crimes, and the LCSO detective said surveillance video obtained from these stores showed Rowser also was involved.
Based on this information and Hicks’ probable cause for arrest, the three detectives made contact with Rowser at his residence in Fort Myers.
Rowser initially denied any involvement in the Lee County thefts, however, he agreed to come to the Cape Coral Police Headquarters to speak to detectives about the Cape Coral theft, officials said.
During the interview with Hicks, Rowser confessed to stealing the televisions from the CVS store on Pine Island Road, officials said.
Hicks completed his interview and the LCSO detective asked Rowser about the two thefts he was investigating for the Sheriff’s Office. At that point, Rowser reportedly confessed to committing those crimes as well and confirmed that he was the person in the surveillance photos.
Rowser was arrested and transported to Lee County Jail, charged with one count of grand theft related to the Cape Coral crime.
At the jail, additional grand Theft charges were added by the Lee county Sheriff’s Office for the two crimes that occurred in Fort Myers.
Source: City of Cape Coral Police Department