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They got him!
The man police believe is the infamous Peoria Pill Bandit is behind bars today, just days after cops increased the reward for information leading to his arrest from $2,000 to $5,000.
Police from Glendale and Peoria announced yesterday that they had taken 43-year-old Steven E. Hochuli of Phoenix into custody on one charge of armed robbery stemming from the November 29 pill heist of a CVS pharmacy in Peoria.
Hochuli is suspected of 11 robberies of other pharmacies in Glendale, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Surprise, and Tempe, over the last seven months.
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Just last week, authorities increased the reward for information leading to the bandit’s arrest from $2,000 to $5,000.
Apparently, $2k wasn’t enough cash to entice anyone to come forward, but after the prize for the pill pirate went up, tips, according to authorities, came pouring in.
Police say Hochuli would go into pharmacies, pull a large knife out of a binder, and demand pills. His drug of choice: The powerful painkiller and Rush Limbaugh favorite, Oxycotin.
Hochuli has only been charged with one count of armed robbery, but charges for the other robberies are expected.
