Elben Ramos
Watsonville Police lead Elben Ramos into the Watsonville Police Department after he was arrested in Oakland on suspicion of robbing the Walgreens pharmacy in Watsonville Saturday. — contributed

WATSONVILLE—A man suspected of robbing the Walgreens store in Watsonville was arrested in Oakland Sunday.

Watsonville police said the suspect, Elben Ramos, 26, entered the pharmacy at Walgreens on Freedom Boulevard around 7am on Saturday. He jumped over the counter and filled a bag with bottles of controlled substances and took off in a vehicle. 

Ramos, who was wearing a “Pink Panther” sweatshirt, fled the scene in his car, Watsonville police said. As he was leaving, a witness jotted down his license plate number.

Detectives were then able to issue an alert and provide law enforcement agencies with the suspect’s description and vehicle information.

Less than 24 hours later, around 5am, an Oakland resident reported a suspicious vehicle, which matched the description. Officers found Ramos sleeping in his car.

He was reportedly still wearing his “Pink Panther” sweatshirt and a pharmacy-sized container of controlled substances was found inside the car, Watsonville police said.

Ramos was taken to Santa Cruz County and booked into jail on robbery charges.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Det. Nelson Hernandez at 768-3358.

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Tarmo Hannula has been the lead photographer with The Pajaronian newspaper in Watsonville since 1997. More recently Good Times & Press Banner. He also reports on a wide range of topics, including police, fire, environment, schools, the arts and events. A fifth generation Californian, Tarmo was born in the Mother Lode of the Sierra (Columbia) and has lived in Santa Cruz County since the late 1970s. He earned a BA from UC Santa Cruz and has traveled to 33 countries.

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