At least five pharmacies were burglarized early Wednesday morning in cities around the county and the initial suspect descriptions were similar in most of the incidents.

A witness reported the first burglary at 12:07 a.m. at Pharmacy Plus, 1012 N. Euclid St., who told police that the burglary alarm had been on for about 2 minutes after at least four men broke in and fled in two vehicles, Anaheim police Sgt. Daron Wyatt said.

“The loss was cash and other prescription drugs,” Wyatt said. “There are similarities between this burglary and others around the county,” Wyatt said. “We’re working with other agencies to determine if they are one in the same.”

Around 1:45 a.m., another alarm sounded inside a pharmacy, this time at Villa Park Pharmacy, 17821 Santiago Blvd.

According to surveillance footage, a group of men with hooded sweatshirts wearing face coverings broke the front door of the business before fleeing with lotto tickets and cough syrup, sheriff’s Lt. John Roche said.

A red and white vehicle was seen leaving the area after the burglary.

Less than an hour later, Tustin police responded at 2:38 a.m. to the Community Pharmacy, 13400 Newport Ave., after an alarm sounded at the business.

Someone broke inside, but there are no cameras inside the business to provide a suspect description, Tustin police Lt. Andy Birozy said.

It was immediately unclear what was taken.

Just before 3:55 a.m., five people in hooded sweatshirts arrived at An Pharmacy, 10963 Westminster Blvd., in a burgundy Cadillac and white Lexus SUV, Garden Grove police Lt. Bob Bogue said.

“The suspects broke a window with a rock, then used a grinder to cut the lock to the security gate,” Bogue said.

The group left with a variety of prescription drugs.

A fifth burglary was discovered around 8:20 a.m. at Medzone Pharmacy, 800 North Tustin Avenue in Santa Ana, after Garden Grove patrol officer found about 100 prescription bottles belonging to the pharmacy near Euclid Street and Trask Avenue about an hour earlier, Bogue said.

“We believe there are all different kinds of drugs – not all the same thing,” Bogue said. “It’s possible that they went through what they wanted and dumped what they didn’t want.”

The bottles were found inside a box in a paper bag that was placed on the street.

Santa Ana police did not immediately have any information about the burglary.

It was not immediately know if all of Wednesday morning’s burglaries were connected, but all of the agencies were were together to determine a connection.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7802 or aduranty@ocregister.com