WINDHAM – Thanks to the keen eye of a Cumberland County sheriff’s detective, the Windham Police Department has arrested the man who they say robbed the Windham Walgreen pharmacy of prescription drugs last weekend.

At about 2:15 p.m. Saturday, July 21, Christopher McCue, 29, of 701 Lake House Road in Naples, entered the Walgreen pharmacy in North Windham wearing a ball cap, sunglasses and black hooded sweatshirt. He didn’t display a weapon but demanded and received an undisclosed amount of oxycontin from the pharmacist. McCue then fled on foot east on Route 115 possibly toward an awaiting vehicle, according to Windham police.

After viewing videotape of the robbery, caught by Walgreen’s in-pharmacy camera, Detective Brian Ackerman of the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office recognized the man as someone he’s dealt with in previous drug-related incidents.

Ackerman declined to discuss the case pending McCue’s arraignment on Friday, but Windham Lt. David DeGruchy said Wednesday that Windham owes the arrest to Ackerman.

“Chris McCue was arrested by the sheriff’s office on a probation violation and I believe there were some underlying drug charges there, as well,” DeGruchy said. “But Detective Brian Ackerman looked at the surveillance photos and thought there was a good chance it was Mr. McCue. So he put two and two together … and he gave our detectives a call and Ray Williams went into jail, since Mr. McCue is being held on the probation violation, and interviewed him and he confessed.”

DeGruchy was impressed Ackerman could make out the identity of McCue given the poor quality of the pharmacy video.

“I think where he’s familiar with this person that even though the quality wasn’t as great as it could be, he was able to look at the person and because of his personal knowledge of the guy, that gave him an advantage,” DeGruchy said.

Several months ago, the Walgreen pharmacy was robbed of oxycodone, though DeGruchy said the department hasn’t tied McCue to that robbery.

“He hasn’t admitted to that one,” DeGruchy said, adding that McCue admitted to stealing the oxycontin for his own use.

DeGruchy is also looking into a recent, still-unsolved Gorham pharmacy robbery to see if McCue was responsible.

“Obviously, when you get these things and you come up with somebody, you start checking out to see if they are related. That’s just par for the course,” DeGruchy said.

DeGruchy is happy to have solved this pharmacy robbery and praises the detectives involved, but he said law enforcement’s battle against drug-related crime is ongoing.

“These things seem so prevalent, you nab one and someone else takes over,” he said. “But we’re very happy. It came together rather quickly.”

DeGruchy was also glad McCue confessed, saying, “Well, it’s a good place to start.”

Detective Brian Ackerman of the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office was able to recognize the man above as Christopher McCue of Naples. McCue, who was caught on a Walgreen camera while demanding oxycontin on Saturday, was arrested Tuesday for the July 21 robbery. (Courtesy photo)