FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) –Two suspects are behind bars after being shot while robbing a Fayetteville pharmacy over the weekend, according to police.
Hendrik and Melanie Hornsveld, both 39, were arrested on Sunday (Feb. 8) on suspicion of aggravated robbery, aggravated assault, engaging in a continuing crime gang and second-degree false imprisonment. Both remain in the Washington County Detention Center awaiting bond hearings, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
Fayetteville police said Hendrik Hornsveld and an unidentified juvenile male robbed Medicap Pharmacy on Martin Luther King, Jr., Boulevard around 3:30 p.m. Saturday. While the pair were running out of the pharmacy, they were shot by the store owner, according to a preliminary report by the Washington County Prosecutor’s Office.
Both suspects received medical treatment from Washington Regional Medical Center over the weekend and were released to authorities.
Police said Hendrik planned to rob the pharmacy because of his addiction to narcotic medications. Melanie Hornsveld ordered the juvenile male to accompany Hendrik during the robbery, according to the preliminary report. Melanie did not go inside.
Hendrik Hornsveld and the juvenile went into the store wearing hooded sweatshirts and pulled the hoods over their heads to hide identification, police said. Hendrik also wore sunglasses during the encounter, according to the preliminary report.
The report states Hendrik went into the restroom, came out and struck the store owner in the head with a yellow crowbar and knocked him down. The owner told police he was forced to open the store safe and take out various narcotic medications.
Police said Hendrik cut phone lines and computer cords before the two suspects then decided to leave the store. While the suspects left, the store owner retrieved a gun and fired at the suspects, hitting both of them with non-life-threatening shots, the report states.
Investigators later obtained video surveillance of the incident and were able to identify Hendrik Hornsveld and the juvenile based off of the images. They found the suspects’ vehicle at a residence on Morningside Drive, where the resident told police the suspects came in uninvited and asked for help. The resident said the two male suspects were bleeding, and the resident cleaned their wounds, washed their bloody clothing and retrieved food and medication for them, according to the preliminary report.
Police entered the home and captured the three suspects---the two accused of robbing the pharmacy and Melanie Hornsveld, who told police she and Hendrik were addicted to various narcotic medications. Hendrik had planned to drive to Bentonville to retrieve the medications, but decided to rob the Fayetteville pharmacy instead, Melanie said.
Melanie admitted she took some of the narcotics retrieved in the robbery and also gave some to the juvenile, police said.
Melanie was taken to the police department in Fayetteville, while Hendrik and the juvenile were transported to the hospital for their injuries and later released.
During the course of a subsequent investigation, police discovered the three suspects also stole merchandise from a Target in Rogers and sold the merchandise to different pawn shops in the area.