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Armed Robber Caught in Luzerne County

NANTICOKE — Police say a man from Wilkes-Barre robbed a pharmacy in Nanticoke just after noon today, but didn’t get very far. Mark Benjamin, 40, of ...

NANTICOKE -- Police say a man from Wilkes-Barre robbed a pharmacy in Nanticoke just after noon today, but didn't get very far.

Mark Benjamin, 40, of Wilkes-Barre, was picked up by police in Hanover Township, only a few miles away from the pharmacy they say he robbed a short time earlier in Nanticoke.

Police say the Benjamin from Wilkes-Barre walked into Spotanski's Pharmacy just after noon and threatened the employees with a gun.

According to the employees, he came in through the front door, walked right past the cash register, came to the pharmacy window, and demanded pain medication.

About an hour later, Hanover Township police pulled Benjamin over on South Main Street. Police say they recovered the pills and a weapon from inside his truck.

Pharmacist Kathleen Smith tells Newswatch 16 the whole incident lasted less than a minute, but left her and the other employees shaken up.

"I think it`s disgusting.  Absolutely. I think it`s disgusting. I think it ruins it for family pharmacy because everyone gets scared and this we rely on our business here. To have someone like that take advantage of it it`s terrible," said Smith.

Police said Benjamin confessed to the armed robbery.  He is locked up in Luzerne County jail on $100,000 bail.

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