Two suspects accused of stealing hundreds of dollars in merchandise from multiple pharmacies across Northern California were arrested Friday after a high-speed pursuit up and down Highway 101—an operation that ended with spike strips, a shut-down freeway, and a California Highway Patrol officer collision with a semi-truck.
The incident began around 12:30 p.m. on August 1, when Cloverdale Police responded to a report of a burglary in progress at the CVS Pharmacy on South Cloverdale Boulevard. A male suspect entered the store, grabbed approximately $400 in skincare products, and fled in a waiting white Mazda sedan driven by a female accomplice and also containing a small dog. The getaway was swift—lasting only about 30 seconds—and the vehicle’s rear license plate had been intentionally obscured.
Thanks to Cloverdale’s FLOCK license plate recognition cameras, officers quickly identified the suspect vehicle and issued a BOLO (Be On the Lookout) alert to nearby agencies. Within 15 minutes, the same vehicle was spotted on FLOCK cameras in Hopland. Soon after, the suspects struck again, this time hitting a Walgreens in Ukiah. As they continued north, cameras captured the vehicle in Willits. Willits Police and CHP began pursuing the suspects…