Four Killed in Medford, N.Y., Pharmacy Robbery

A senseless act of violence cast a dark shadow over Father's Day in the hamlet of Medford, N.Y. A gunman walked into Haven Drugs Pharmacy on the corner of Medford Avenue (Route 112) and Southaven Avenue around 10:15 a.m. and robbed the drugstore, killing two employees and two patrons before fleeing the scene with prescription drugs. Fortunately for Suffolk County detectives, he was captured on the store's surveillance video cameras and his image is now being broadcast on all news stations in the area. A major manhunt is on to find the suspect.

Jennifer Mejia was the youngest of the victims at age 17. She was a senior at Bellport High School in Brookhaven, N.Y., scheduled to go to prom Wednesday and graduate Thursday. Instead, her family will be planning her funeral service. A memorial vigil was held at the Mejias' East Patchogue home, and a memorial page was quickly set up for Jennifer on Facebook.

"I feel bad, because I didn't even hug her," Jennifer's father, Rene, said about how she rushed out to get to her job at Haven Drugs. He thought that he would be able to hug her when she returned home from work. Jennifer was supposed to attend college this fall to become a doctor.

Centereach resident and 45-year-old pharmacist Raymond Ferguson was not supposed to work on Father's Day, but covered another employee's shift. Witnesses say that Ferguson was shot twice: once as the shooter went to the pharmacy to find drugs, and once on his way back with the stolen goods.

The other two victims were customers of Haven Drugs: 33-year-old Jamie Taccetta of Farmingville and 71-year-old Bryon Sheffield of Medford.

Haven Drugs opened at 10 a.m. Sunday. The 911 call came in to the fifth precinct at 10:23 a.m., reporting gunshots inside the pharmacy. Police responded quickly, only to find what was described as a "bloodbath" inside of the family-owned pharmacy.

"This is a viscious, horrible crime," said Dominick Varrone, Suffolk County Chief of Detectives. The crime scene was so horrible that pharmacy owner Vinodu Kudchadkar collapsed at the sight of blood and police, then was taken via ambulance to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital.

The gunman is still at large. He is described as a thin Caucasian man with short, dark hair and dark facial hair, approximately 5'8" tall and in his early 20s. He was wearing a white baseball cap, sunglasses, jeans, and a dark hoodie. He fled east on Southaven Avenue in the direction of a known halfway house. At the time of the publication of this article, he has not yet been caught.

Two witnesses, who only gave their names as "Debbie" and "Cynthia," claimed to have seen the same man "casing the pharmacy" the night before. After they ate dinner at the nearby Metropolis Diner, Debbie and Cynthia walked to their cars and noticed the same man pacing in front of the pharmacy, looking in the windows. We was wearing a white ball cap, jeans and dark shoes, but did not have a shirt on.

"He looked strung out," Debbie said. "It looked like he really wanted to get in there."

Anyone with tips regarding this case is asked to call the Suffolk County Homicide Squad at 631.852.6392 or Crime Stoppers at 1.800.220.TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.