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Pharmacy robbery update 02-25-10

Hawai’i Police Department
Criminal Investigations Section
Lieutenant Mitch Kanehailua
Phone: 961-2242
February 25, 2010
Report No. C10005611

Santoro mug shot

Paul Santoro
…charged in pharmacy robbery

Media Release (update)

Big Island Police have charged 28-year-old Paul Santoro with 16 crimes in connection with a robbery Tuesday (February 23) at a Hilo pharmacy.

Santoro was charged Wednesday evening (February 24) with robbery in the first degree, three counts of terroristic threatening in the first degree and one count each of assault in the second degree, assault in the third degree, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, place to keep a loaded firearm, place to keep ammunition, permit to acquire a firearm and registration mandatory.

Detectives investigating the incident discovered that the rifle used in the robbery was taken in a home burglary on Monday (February 22). Santoro was charged additionally with one count of burglary in the first degree and one count of theft in the first degree.

Detectives also served a search warrant on a bag recovered from Santoro on the day of the robbery. The search warrant yielded 16 rounds of 30.06 ammunition as well as some small items reported taken in the burglary. 

A small amount of marijuana and a glass pipe with marijuana residue also were recovered from the bag.

Santoro’s bail was set at $223,300. He is being held in the Hilo police cellblock.

Police ask that anyone with information about this case call Lieutenant Mitch Kanehailua at 961-2252, or the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 935-3311. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona.