Pleasanton Police have released photos of the man suspected of attempting to rob the pharmacies in Pleasanton and Dublin.
Pleasanton Police Sergeant Mike Tryphonas wrote:
"The CVS Dublin photo is from the Dublin CVS on Wednesday, Dec. 12 which occurred around 6:00 p.m. The Lucky’s Pleasanton picture would then be the photo from our Wednesday, Dec. 12 attempted robbery that occurred around 6:15 p.m., just 15 minutes later.
The Rite Aid picture is from our attempted robbery yesterday at the Pleasanton Rite Aid that occurred around 12:20pm prior to the Dublin Safeway robbery that occurred around 12:38 p.m."
Anybody with information about these crimes is encouraged to call the Pleasanton Police Department at (925) 951-5100. Pleasanton Police are working with the Dublin and Livermore Police Departments to determine if these two attempted robberies are related to recent similar crimes in those jurisdictions.
However, it does beg the question of whether or not Safeway, or any other retailer for that matter, should be requiring customers who shop at their stores to take off their headgear and hoods, especially if they are nothing significant like a wool cap and a "hoodie". And it was considered bad manners in the past when a man did not do that inside of a building. And nowadays, there is all this sensitivity to beliefs and customs like those of muslims and even Sikhs, where the donning of their headgear is considered part of their religious practices and asking for all of that headgear to be removed in a building or even as grounds to receive service for whatever reason may be taken as offensive. But when we have folks out there like this guy holding up pharmacy counters, perhaps stores need to review their policies on who can and who can not receive service at their counters and at the same time, reserve the right to deny service to people who refuse to remove their hats, hoods, scarves, helmets or any other obstructive headgear when they are at the counter. Not sure about the rest of the building, though.