Burglar Steals COVID-19 Vaccines From Purdy Dentist Office

PURDY, WA — The Pierce County Sheriff's Department is investigating after a burglar broke into a Purdy dentist office early Saturday morning and made off with 100 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

All 100 doses were of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The burglar also stole a vial of Botox, and more than $100,000 worth of medical equipment, deputies said.

While the motivation for stealing valuable medical equipment is pretty obvious, deputies say they're not sure why any burglar would've stolen vaccine doses:

"What would a thief want with 100 COVID-19 vaccines that you can get for free?" The answer is, "We're not sure."

Both the sheriff's department and the Tacoma - Pierce County Health Department are taking the opportunity to remind everyone that COVID-19 vaccines are always free. It's not clear if the burglar will try to re-sell the vaccines for a price, but deputies are still warning residents to only get their shots through legitimate health care providers, like pharmacies or Pierce County Department of Emergency Management and health department clinics.

Anyone who still needs a vaccine can find a list of legitimate providers on the Tacoma - Pierce County Health Department's website.

As for the burglary, deputies say they are working to track down the thief and are offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information that leads to an arrest in this case. Anyone with a tip can report it to Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-222-TIPS.