Man in Hospital Gown Accused of Tulsa Walgreens Robbery
Man Wearing Hospital Gown Accused of Robbing Tulsa Walgreens for Oxycodone
A man wearing a hospital gown around his neck walked into a Tulsa Walgreens, allegedly implied he had a gun and demanded bottles of oxycodone before fleeing toward a nearby hospital and eventually being arrested near the Broken Arrow Expressway.
Police identified the suspect as 41-year-old Zachary Hynes, who is accused in the Utica Square Walgreens robbery near East 21st Street and South Utica Avenue on Tuesday, September 15.
The case gets even stranger. Tulsa police say Hynes has previously been accused of robbing another Walgreens for opioid medication in a remarkably similar incident seven years ago.
Utica Square Walgreens Robbery Begins With Hospital Gown and Demand for Oxycodone
Officers were called to the Walgreens near 21st and Utica around 2:30 p.m. after employees reported a robbery at the pharmacy counter.
According to the Tulsa Police Department's account of the robbery, Hynes entered the store with a hospital gown wrapped around his neck, walked directly to the pharmacy and handed employees a note demanding oxycodone.
Police said Hynes then grabbed at his waistband, leading employees to believe he had a firearm.
Pharmacy workers handed over several bottles of oxycodone, and Hynes allegedly fled from the store.
Authorities have not reported recovering a firearm from Hynes. The allegation is that his actions at the pharmacy led employees to believe he was armed.
Witnesses saw the suspect running across the street toward Ascension St. John Medical Center, prompting officers to establish a perimeter around the hospital campus while searching for him.
Police initially considered whether the hospital gown meant the suspect could have been a patient who had left the medical center. Officers searched the area, but Hynes had apparently continued moving south away from the hospital.
Police Find Zachary Hynes Sitting Near Broken Arrow Expressway
The search eventually moved toward the highway system, where officers located Hynes near a Broken Arrow Expressway exit ramp close to East 15th Street.
Police said Hynes was sitting in the grass near the ramp when officers found him.
He was taken into custody without further incident, and police said the stolen oxycodone was found on the ground beside him.
The Tulsa Police Department is handling the investigation into the pharmacy robbery.
But investigators also pointed to a previous case involving Hynes that bears striking similarities to Tuesday's allegations.
Police said Hynes was arrested on April 8, 2019, after another robbery at a Tulsa Walgreens, that time on South Lewis Avenue.
During the 2019 incident, police said Hynes went to the pharmacy and demanded OxyContin. When employees initially hesitated, he allegedly claimed he had a gun.
That robbery also ended unusually. Police said Hynes collapsed near the store's exit doors while attempting to leave and was transported to a hospital before being booked.
The 2019 case is separate from the current allegations and does not establish guilt in the new case.
Utica Square Walgreens Robbery Case Moves Into Tulsa County Court System
Following his arrest, Hynes was taken into custody in connection with the Utica Square Walgreens robbery.
Police have accused him of robbery with a firearm, based on allegations that he made pharmacy employees believe he was armed while demanding the medication.
Oklahoma's robbery statute addresses robberies committed with firearms or other dangerous weapons. The Oklahoma State Courts Network provides the state's criminal statutes governing robbery and other offenses.
The precise charge and allegations against Hynes will have to be established through the court process. He is presumed innocent unless and until convicted.
Police have not reported recovering an actual firearm during Tuesday's arrest.
What they say they did recover was the stolen oxycodone, lying beside Hynes when officers found him near the highway.
The combination of the hospital gown, pharmacy demand, run toward a hospital and eventual arrest beside a highway ramp makes Tuesday's case unusual on its own.
The earlier Walgreens case adds another element. Seven years after police say Hynes targeted a Tulsa Walgreens while seeking opioid medication, he is again accused of walking into a Walgreens, demanding opioids while allegedly making employees believe he was armed and attempting to flee.
This time, according to police, it ended with Zachary Hynes sitting in the grass near the Broken Arrow Expressway with the stolen oxycodone beside him.
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