News

Citizens help lead Ipswich police to robbery suspect

By Mike Stucka
Staff writer
Published: June 7, 2008

IPSWICH — A Newbury man was arrested yesterday minutes after he allegedly acted as if he had a gun, ordered a pharmacist to lie down, then ran off with dozens of bottles of pain pills.

David J. Crisafulli, 47, was arrested about 15 minutes after the 11:18 a.m. robbery at the Ipswich Rite Aid on Central Street, Ipswich police Sgt. Thomas Colpitts said.

Police said Crisafulli went to the prescription counter in the store and threatened the pharmacist.

"He motioned under his garment like he had a weapon," Colpitts said, but no weapon was found. "... He ordered the pharmacist onto the ground. He then jumped onto the counter and took approximately 25 bottles of assorted prescription drugs."

The drugs taken included pain pills popular with addicts, including OxyContin, Colpitts said. They came from three trays in a locker, police said in a statement.

Citizens saw the robbery and Crisafulli leaving the store toward Lords Square; one witness had even seen him walking around the area an hour earlier.

"With the help of several witnesses who watched him run off, we were able to track him onto High Street, and he was arrested in the woods at High Street," Colpitts said. "It was good work (by) the police and good work by the citizens of Ipswich."

Crisafulli, of 88 High Road, Newbury, was charged with unarmed robbery and two counts of threatening to commit a crime. The case remains under investigation. He was held on $50,000 cash bail at Middleton Jail pending his arraignment in Ipswich District Court on Monday morning.

Neither the pharmacist nor anyone else was hurt in the robbery.

Officers aiding in the arrest included Colpitts, Chief Gavin Keenan, and Patrolmen Daniel Kmiec, James Zabelski and Guy Saulnier. Other officers involved in the case included Lt. Dan Moriarty, Detective Peter Dziadosz, Sgt. Justin Daly and Patrolman Eric Copithorne.

Colpitts declined to identify the witnesses but said they were instrumental in quickly arresting the suspect.

"I give a lot of credit to the witnesses who came forward," Colpitts said.