Teen passes out in ceiling after robbing pharmacy

PLAINVILLE (FOX 25 / MyFoxBoston) - Police in Plainville say a 17-year-old burglary suspect was found in the crawl space of a Plainville pharmacy Monday morning after he allegedly broke through the roof, stole and then drank some cough syrup and took other medications.

Ryan Gelineau, of Plainville, had to be rescued by two police officers and two firefighters because he was semi-conscious. Police believe Gelineau drank about two pints of cough syrup that contained codeine.

He was taken to Sturdy Memorial Hospital for treatment.

The break-in at Plainville Prescription Center at 122 South St. happened around 6 a.m., but police did not find Gelineau until about four hours later when employees heard an alarm sounding on his cell phone coming from above the ceiling tiles.

Gelineau also had a hidden a duffel bag containing more than a hundred pill bottles, four cartons of cigarettes, rope and a mask. Police believe Gelineau shimmied up an outside pipe to get on the roof and used a hack-saw blade and a crow bar to cut the hole.

The blade and crow bar were recovered. Police also recovered $320 in cash, which was returned to the pharmacy.

Gelineau faces numerous felony charges, including breaking and entering, possession of burglar's tools and larceny.