Last Updated: 7:30 p.m.
An armed robber who targeted the Walgreens store on Palm Coast Parkway West early this morning got away with prescription drugs but was later arrested in Bunnell.
The robbery took place just before 6 this morning at the Walgreens at at 1109 Palm Coast Parkway S.W., one of three Walgreens in the city, according to a Flagler County Sheriff’s spokesperson. The suspect, a resident of 104 South Anderson Street with a long rap sheet, was identified as Matthew K. Green, 28.
Green was in Florida state prison from November 2012 to February 2014 on a conviction for selling, manufacturing and distributing narcotics.
The pharmacist at Walgreens told 911 of the robbery at 5:55 a.m., describing the suspect and his brown handgun. The suspect had asked him for a bottle of hydromorphone, or Dilaudid, an opiod, and a bottle of oxycodone, telling the pharmacist that he’d kill him if he informed police. He then fled.
The pharmacist described the suspect as “becoming sketched out,” according to Green’s arrest report. “He put his hand on the counter and looked as though he was going to jump the counter.” The pharmacist asked him how many bottles he wanted. The suspect replied that he wanted just one of each. Each bottle contained 100 pills, totaling about $500 in value.
A perimeter was established in the area of the store after the robbery, but surveillance video gave deputies and detectives a lead on the individual, through a picture. When deputies got to Green’s house in Bunnell, Green was involved in a verbal altercation with a woman on his front lawn. The woman was Green’s sister. She told a detective that she’d gotten a Facebook message the previous night from him telling her that he’d been kicked out of his house and had nowhere to go.
She found him at 104 South Anderson (her mother’s house), where she found him “out of it and really high,” according to the description she gave the detective. That was several hours after the robbery. She told him she’d take him in for treatment, but he was not coherent. She grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him, according to the arrest report, then went outside, trying to get him into a car. It’s about then that detectives arrived.
“I fucked up,” Green told his sister just then.
When his sister was shown photographs from the morning’s robbery, she identified her brother and asked what he’d done now. A detective spoke to Green’s stepfather, who said he owned two antique firearms that sat on top of a television in the garage. One of the firearms was missing. When it was located, it was confirmed to be that allegedly used by Green in the robbery. The gun had been discarded on Palm Coast Parkway near Pine Cone Drive. A resident ran over it with his car and contacted the Flagler Beach Police Department to report it.
Detectives began speaking with Green, but he asked for a lawyer, so all questioning stopped. He was arrested.
No one was injured in the robbery.
Green was taken to the sheriff’s Investigative Services Division, then booked booked at the Flagler County jail at 2:42 p.m. on charges of armed robbery, grand theft and grand theft of a firearm, all felonies. There is no bond.
Green’s first arrest in Flagler as an adult dates back to 2006, when he pleaded no contest to a minor pot charge (less than 20 grams of pot) and possessing drug paraphernalia. Adjudication was withheld. He was found guilty of driving on a suspended license in 2010, a second-degree misdemeanor, and spent two months in jail. The same year he was found guilty of shoplifting. The following year he was found guilty of battery in a plea agreement that enabled an assault charge against him to be dropped. His most serious run-in with the law was in 2012, when he was arrested for selling oxycodone, found guilty and sentenced to prison. His arrest was part of one of the sheriff’s periodic sweeps of drug dealers in the area. That year he’d also been found guilty of disorderly conduct. He’d steered clear of trouble since then.
Until his arrest today.
Further details will be released as we receive them.
gladfly says
Yeah Palm Compton is still in the ghetto.
r&r says
They’re probably back on the streets by now.
Geezer says
He was observed at the corner of Happy and Healthy, committing a 2-1-1.
(address from a Walgreen’s’ commercial)
David B says
These people don’t need prison. They need a drug rehab program. Get them off drugs will straighten out there. Prisons have way to many drug addicts in there that does not does nothing to help them kick there addiction,
the fix says
Thieves rob banks and addicts rob Pharmacies soon their going to need to post armed guards at Walgreens and CVS.
Ghost says
Yea y’all say the exact same thing any time any crime occurs. Crime will occur no matter where you live!!! Your best bets would be to move to an island not occupied by anyone else, and far from anyone else. Palm coast is not the utopian island you need. You need a private island so no crime can occur. But then you might would have to worry about animals stealing your food. Oh well. Guess y’all are damned with crime either way. Get used to it this is Florida…
footballen says
The judge will let him right out so he can do it again and we can all blame the stupid cops.
So very sad says
It is so horrible that a person can have such an addiction. What program or residential treatment program has been offered to help this man? Jail does not provide the tools needed to break the cycle! Something better needs to be implemented to stop this revolving door of crime when it comes to drugs. This is a young life and this young man has a problem that he obviously can’t control, like soany others out there. Drugs are an epidemic in our society.
The Geode says
Oh. NOW drugs is a disease and an “epidemic”. I recall in the mid-80s when wars were declared and addicts were considered scum and the scrounge of society who needs to be locked up. Fast forward to a DIFFERENT type of drug affecting a DIFFERENT culture of people and the tune has changed. Where was all this sympathy and well wishes then?
Barb says
I thought about commenting about the drug issue and lack of treatment, but didn’t really want to deal with all the base comments that will surely follow. A couple of you had the guts to do it. I’ve seen it first hand. Send them to jail, don’t even try to get them help (even when they want it) and stick them back on the streets to start the current le over.
Wake up. It’s not working folks.
Anonymous says
What makes you think he hasn’t been in rehab before? Court Diversionary programs can be very valuable but they should always be LONG-TERM programs (at least a year, with “step-downs) and people should be sent to facilities that are NOT in their accustomed areas of residence. Separating from “people, places and things” related to one’s addiction is a must.
Mark says
His rap sheet only shows what he has “officially” been caught doing and charged with. What has he done and hasn’t been charged with? He is a habitual offender. He needs to be taken off the streets. He has had multiple chances. I personally know him. He has been helped. He needs to pay the consequences of his actions.
Sharon Williams says
Kudos to Palm Coast police dept. they acted fast and efficient. I recently spoke to an officer . He shared some stories with my 12yr. old granddaughter to guide her and teach her how important it is to watch your surroundings. Of course she’s been taught that since she could walk , but hearing his experience drove it home for her. Nobody knows what these men and woman who devote their lives to our safety have to see in a day . And , for such little compensation . In the state of mind that was described when this man was caught , I personally would like to thank Palm Coast police for acting so quickly and protecting the public from a drug crazed man with a gun . I do hope he gets the help he needs, however , he chose to threaten a pharmacist with a gun , stole drugs, and ran . He needs to face his consequences.
DaveT says
Now maybe this man will get the jail term he really needs to support his chosen professional as ‘criminal’.
David B says
The courts are not in the business to rehabilitate a drug addict or the mentally disturb. Courts are only there to prosecute and convict criminals. These drug addicts and mentally disturb people need professional help from medical drug rehab centers and mental psychotic centers. Once again our court systems are not capable to treat these people Courts are to uphold laws and convict.
footballen says
There was a guy in Alabama who was recently sentenced to life in prison for molesting three small children. Do you know they didn’t even try to rehabilitate that poor soul? They just sent him off without so much as a prayer. This country I tell you!
Roll on 2 says
It’s been less than three years since he was released from prison, therefore, he will be sentenced as a Prison Release Reoffender (PRR). What that means is that state law requires that those offenders be sentenced to the maximum sentence allowed by law! Day for day, no gain time, as well.
anonymous says
Nothing surprises me anymore in Palm Coast.
Country Rock Dog says
Dope fiends, hypes & addicts will only stop when they want to, no amount of rehab or jail time will turn them around. If anyone here thinks this menace to society needs federal government mandated taxpayer funded assistance to stop ingesting the devils desert needs to Google “Long Island Pharma Killer David Laffer” see what he did to 4 innocent people to get dope for his drug addicted wife.
citizen says
To see so many comments
-criminal -chose profession – dope fiend is appalling. Everyone is such a professional in law, drug addiction, and Palm Coast
All of you complain but I can guarantee almost every one of you that are so quick to judge and comment aren’t doing anything in your community to try and help. Stop complaining and act. Get better education on what bothers you & what our can do instead.
anonymous says
It does surprise me on how much crime in palm coast has increased over just the last year.
Whoever said crimes happen everywhere is right. There is no getting away from it.
Lorraine Vickery says
@footballen: I am shocked that you would refer to a man in Alabama who molested 3 children and the “poor soul” got sentenved to life, no rehabilitation so he doesn’t even have a prayer…
Well, first, what about the 3 “poor souls” of the 3 SMALL children he molested?
Second of all, have you or anyone ever heard of a child molester getting truly REHABILITATED?!
I admit I can be wrong or uninformed, but I’ve NEVER heard of a rehabilitated child predator. And I can believe even this person had been abused ,as a child, and God loves and has grace for him too. Yet let’s not call a perp a victim (“poor soul”) and let the punishnent fit the crime.