Authorities have a suspect in custody after anticipating his arrival at a Solana Beach CVS Pharmacy based on armed robberies at drugstores in Carlsbad and Encinitas on Oct. 22, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department reported.

Carlsbad police first reported an armed robbery at a Rite Aid located at 7100 Avenida Encinas, just west of Interstate 5, at about 8:20 p.m. on Friday, according to the Sheriff’s Department. Within a few minutes of Carlsbad’s notice, deputies from the Sheriff’s North Coastal Station responded to a call of an armed robbery at a CVS Pharmacy located at 455 Encinitas Blvd., just east of Interstate 5, in Encinitas.

Surmising that the suspect or suspects involved in the first two calls might be hitting other drugstores along the freeway route, deputies headed south to a CVS at 683 Lomas Santa Fe Drive, just west of Interstate 5, in Solana Beach, according to the report, which was released on Monday, Oct. 25.

“Sheriff’s deputies believing the suspect(s) were traveling south, targeting pharmacies located in close proximity to Interstate 5, headed to the CVS Pharmacy in Solana Beach located at 683 Lomas Santa Fe Dr.,” the report stated.

As the deputies arrived, they saw a man matching a description from the Carlsbad Police Department walk into the CVS, authorities said. Deputies chased the suspect when he fled after being confronted by them when he exited the store. The man reportedly threw a loaded small-caliber handgun to the ground as he ran.

Deputies caught the suspect, identified in the report as 25-year-old Benjamin Vence Corona, and took him into custody.

The Sheriff’s Department asks that anyone with information about the case to call its non-emergency line at 858-565-5200.

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