Darren Lopaciuk
A Florida man has been arrested for robberies at the King's Lodge on the side of Missionary Ridge and the Lookout Valley Walmart.
Darren Lopaciuk, 53, of Safety Harbor, was charged with aggravated robbery.
In an incident last Oct. 7, the King's Lodge desk clerk said a white male driving a gray SUV parked on the street in front of the motel. He walked inside the lobby with his hands in his jacket pocket.
She said he then approached the counter and raised his hand inside his jacket pocket as if he had a weapon.
He then said, "Give me the money."
The robber took money that he was handed from the cash register and fled in the SUV.
The clerk said she believes the SUV had an out-of-state tag (possibly Florida).
The next day she picked out Lopaciuk from a photo lineup as the one who had robbed her.
Just about an hour later, police said a white male went to the pharmacy at the Lookout Valley Walmart. He cut in front of a customer who was in line, then jumped the counter.
He told the female pharmacist on duty, "I have a gun; this is a robbery" and demanded oxycodone and hydrocodone pills. The robber left with six bottles of the two drugs.
Police said the clothing worn by the white male in both robberies was very similar.
Chattanooga Police were later notified by a Dade County, Ga., detective who said an informant told her that Lopaciuk had been bragging about the robbery and had a bunch of pills.
Police said Lopaciuk has a history of robberies and narcotics.
Two Walmart pharmacy clerks picked Lopaciuk out of a photo lineup.
Lopaciuk was driving a GMC Yukon with Florida tags, it was stated.
Lopaciuk was brought to Hamilton County from the Dade County jail in Trenton, Ga., on Tuesday.