Alleged robbers target pharmacies to get narcotics, police officials say

A West Allis couple was charged in connection with two armed robberies in which area pharmacists were threatened to force them to hand over drugs.

Jason Guetzkow, 29, and Rebekkah Webb, 21, were charged with felonies by the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office for their alleged involvement in two armed robberies at a Walgreens in Greenfield and Jewel-Osco in West Allis on Sept. 4.

Guetzkow was charged with two felony counts of attempted armed robbery-handgun displayed and a felony count of armed robbery-party to a crime while Guetzkow's girlfriend, Webb, was charged with a felony count of being party to a crime of robbery with threat of force by the district attorney's office Sept. 7.

Assistant District Attorney Denis Stingl said he charged Webb with only one count because of her age, lack of a prior criminal history and because Guetzkow was the main participant in the crime. Webb allegedly drove the getaway car in both robberies. Guetzkow was released from prison in May after serving time for a 2002 robbery. He was on extended supervision at the time of his arrest.

If convicted, Guetzkow faces up to 80 years in prison and up to $200,000 in fines; Webb faces up to 15 years in prison and up to $50,000 in fines.

Gave note to pharmacist

According to Greenfield police reports, Guetzkow allegedly walked into the pharmacy at Walgreens, 4200 S. 76th St. in Greenfield, at 4:40 a.m. Sept. 4. Guetzkow handed the pharmacist a note demanding the narcotic pain medications Oxycontin and Dilaudid. The pharmacist told Guetzgow that he didn't know what kind of drugs those were. Guetzkow got upset, told the pharmacist he would blow his head off, displayed a small handgun and left without getting any drugs.

"The gun was never recovered," Greenfield Detective Sgt. Patrick Martin said.

Guetzkow then allegedly got into a car driven by Webb and the two went to the Jewel-Osco, 1111W. Greenfield Ave. in West Allis, arriving at 4:58 a.m.

According to West Allis police, Guetzkow asked for the same narcotics and made threats to the pharmacist at Jewel-Osco, who gave Guetzkow Oxycontin. During that robbery, Guetzkow never showed a weapon, but implied that he had a gun.

"He then fled the store," West Allis Detective Tim Stein said. "We got some description of a vehicle, it was a red Cadillac Deville, four-door, with a white cap and it was missing a hubcap."

Witness calls in plate

After Guetzkow left, someone at the scene gave a plate number to the West Allis police. An alert was sent to the surrounding departments and the car was found in West Milwaukee on South 50th Street at West Greenfield Avenue. No one claimed the car, Stein said.

"We watched the car for hours," Martin said. "So we had it towed."

Police later found records that indicated Webb had been driving the Cadillac when she received a traffic citation listing an address in the 1400 block of South 79th Street in West Allis. Police went there at 8 p.m. Sept. 4, Martin said.

"It was there that we found our robbery suspect and the driver," Martin said.

During the arrest, Steven Berkhahn, 23-year-old Milwaukee man, came up to the house carrying nine small bags of cocaine totaling 1.4 grams. He was arrested as well and charged with felony possession of cocaine with intent to sell.

Greenfield police made the arrests.