Helicopter chase ends with Brooklyn drugstore thief arrested in Queens

Around 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday, a man wearing a surgical mask and dark sweatshirt entered Neergard Pharmacy at 120 7th Ave. in Brooklyn, stealing approximately $2,200 in cash and an estimated hundred pills, including oxycodone, codeine and Xanax. Police responded to a 911 call but found the store already emptied of the loot. An NYPD Aviation Unit deployed a helicopter, whose cameras helped detectives pinpoint the suspect’s location in Queens near 65th Avenue and 110th Street, about 13 miles away.

The individual, identified as 28-year-old Ralph Wilson, surrendered with his hands raised and was handcuffed by officers. He now faces burglary and controlled-substance possession charges and has nine prior arrests, including five burglaries since 2015 and a 2017 felony assault charge. Brooklyn’s 78th Precinct reports a 16 % decline in burglaries so far this year, and citywide burglary numbers are down 15 % from the same period last year.