City of Tigard > News > A Juvenile and an Adult Arrested After Rite-Aid Robbery

A Juvenile and an Adult Arrested After Rite-Aid Robbery

Home > News > A Juvenile and an Adult Arrested After Rite-Aid Robbery

	City of Tigard 13125 SW Hall Blvd. Tigard, Oregon 97223	Press Release March 5, 2008
For Immediate Release
Contact:	Jim Wolf, Public Information Officer Tigard Police Department Phone: 503-718-2561 Pager: 503-795-2391 Email: jim@tigard-or.gov

A Juvenile and an Adult Arrested After Rite-Aid Robbery
Within minutes of the Tigard Main Street Rite-Aid Store being robbed, Tigard Police arrested the pair allegedly responsible. A call to 9-1-1 at about 4:20pm Monday afternoon stated that a store employee was robbed by gunpoint reportedly involving a man dressed in all black wearing a dark ski mask and hooded jacket. The call for help also stated that the robber had pointed a gun at an employee in the pharmacy area after making verbal demands for "OxyContin," a prescription pain reliever.

Helpful witness statements from customers inside and an observant citizen outside of the store at the time of the incident were able to help police locate the vehicle allegedly involved in the robbery which led investigators to the two people involved. A third person is also believed to be involved. Tigard Police investigators are currently working to locate the outstanding person of interest.

Monday afternoon, Tigard Police arrested 19 year old Michael D. Erickson-Hill at his home located on SW Mayview Way in Tigard. Erickson-Hill is alleged to have driven the vehicle involved in the robbery. While in custody, Erickson-Hill provided police with one bottle of "OxyContin" that was obtained during the earlier robbery.

Also arrested a short time later that same afternoon was a juvenile, 17 year old Mitchell Avery Steckler at his home located on SW Hiteon Dr in Beaverton. Steckler is alleged to have been the gunman that entered the Rite-Aid and demanded the drugs. Two remaining bottles of "OxyContin" taken in the robbery were retrieved from Steckler's home. Steckler is also implicated in a February 7th robbery occurring at another Tigard Rite-Aid store on Scholls Ferry and SW 121st. That robbery also involved a man entering the store with a gun and making demands for "OxyContin" to an employee in the pharmacy area.

Both Erickson-Hill and Steckler have been charged with Robbery II; a Measure 11 crime in Oregon which requires mandatory minimum sentencing as well as requires teenagers 15 to 17 years of age who are charged with certain serious crimes to be tried as adults in criminal court. Erickson-Hill was transported and lodged at the Washington County Jail. He will await arraignment. The Juvenile Department of Washington County arranged for Steckler to be lodged at Donald E Long Home in Portland.

Law enforcement has seen an alarmingly high number of robberies and thefts involving the prescription drug "OxyContin." In addition, prescription drug abuse appears to be escalating in high school and college age individuals. "OxyContin" has skyrocketed to be one of the highest demand illegally obtained drugs currently.