Suspect in Cary CVS robberies now charged in other holdups

Christopher Terrel Purnell, 24, of 10 Autumn Leaf Lane in Durham, was charged Tuesday with two counts each of robbery with a dangerous weapon and second-degree kidnapping and one count of misdemeanor assault on a female. He remains in the Wake County jail under a $702,000 bond.

Police said Purnell robbed the CVS at 13304 Leesville Church Road in Raleigh on Jan. 24, holding two women at gunpoint and knocking one of them to the ground before fleeing with about $1,500 in cash, according to an arrest warrant.

Four days later, police said, Purnell robbed a CVS at 1990 NW Cary Parkway in Morrisville. Again, two people were held at gunpoint before he fled with $3,735 in cash, according to a warrant.

On Friday, an armed man in a mask tried to rob a CVS at 10170 Green Level Church Road in Cary, but the pharmacy's assistant manager tackled the robber and knocked the gun away from him.

The robber fled, but Purnell was arrested later that night near the pharmacy and charged with attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon and conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon in the Cary holdup.

One of the women in the Raleigh robbery said she is glad someone has been arrested in the case, and she just wants to put the incident behind her.

Purnell also has been charged with conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon and aiding and abetting an armed robbery in a Jan. 30 robbery of a CVS at 5859 Tryon Road in Cary, according to a warrant.

Durham police call Purnell a person of interest in a recent CVS robbery there.

Anthony Denzel Burton, 25, of 621 Chandler Road in Durham, was charged with conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon and aiding and abetting an armed robbery in the Green Level Church Road robbery.

Customers of that CVS have written a letter to corporate headquarters, thanking the assistant manager for saving lives and urging executives not to punish him for any violation of company policy.