Newburyport police charge Seabrook man in connection with CVS robbery
Nov. 5—NEWBURYPORT — Local police filed a complaint against Brandon Simmons, a Seabrook man wanted in connection with last weekend's CVS Pharmacy robbery, on charges of armed and masked robbery, and making a bomb or hijack threat.
The Police Department's log shows Inspector Dani Sinclair issued him a court summons Thursday morning. When Simmons will be arraigned in Newburyport District Court on the charges is unknown.
Simmons, 34, of Causeway Street is being held without bail until at least Wednesday after his arraignment on more than a dozen charges related to a high-speed pursuit Monday through Salisbury and Seabrook.
The pursuit ended with a stolen van crashing into a truck at the corner of Elm and Gardner streets and the driver, believed to be Simmons, fleeing on foot. He was arrested Wednesday morning by state police in hotel lobby on Route 1 in Peabody.
Simmons will face charges related to his arrest, which involved him being subdued by troopers, and another vehicle pursuit that took place in Danvers the night before his arrest. He is also wanted in connection with a bank robbery in York, Maine, and will likely be charged with federal offenses in the near future.
In both robberies, police say a man handed an employee a note claiming he had a bomb.
On Nov. 10, Simmons is scheduled to return to District Court for a detention hearing to determine whether he poses too great a risk to the public to be afforded bail while awaiting trial. Even if Simmons is given an opportunity to post bail on the Salisbury charges, he would likely remain behind bars until his cases are resolved.
At the time of his arrest, Simmons was facing arrest warrants for forgery, drug possession, assault with a dangerous weapon and malicious destruction of a motor vehicle out of Lawrence and Lowell district courts. Judge Allen Swan revoked Simmons' release on those offenses moments after he was arraigned on the new charges.
About 2 p.m. Saturday, a man claiming to have a bomb walked into CVS at 13 1/2 Pond St. in Newburyport and handed the teller a note saying he wanted prescription drugs, according to City Marshal Mark Murray.
The robber then fled with an undetermined quantity of prescription drugs.
Dave Rogers is a reporter with the Daily News of Newburyport. Email him at: drogers@newburyportnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @drogers41008.
Dave Rogers is a reporter with the Daily News of Newburyport. Email him at: drogers@newburyportnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @drogers41008.
