Robbery suspect waives hearing

SANDPOINT — A Washington state man charged with robbing a Priest River pharmacy at gunpoint to obtain narcotics waived his right to preliminary hearing on Wednesday.

Daniel Patrick Hawkins’ waiver means he is not challenging the state’s case at this stage of the proceedings and clears the way for his arraignment in 1st District Court next month.

Bonner County Prosecutor Phil Robinson and Chief Public Defender Isabella Robertson also stipulated to reducing Hawkins’ bail from $250,000 to $35,000. Under the terms of his conditional release, Hawkins is required to relinquish his right to fight extradition if he absconds and is forbidden from contacting the victims in the case.

Hawkins, a 22-year-old from Diamond Lake, displayed a pistol at the White Cross Pharmacy on Oct. 6 and demanded OxyContin, a potent painkiller, according to charging documents. Hawkins made off with an undisclosed amount of the drug.

Nobody was injured in the robbery and Hawkins reportedly made a not-so-clean getaway.

Hawkins was linked to the crime after surveillance equipment captured an image of his vehicle and he was positively identified as the perpetrator in a photo lineup, court documents said. He was arrested in Pend Oreille County, Wash., on Oct. 18.

Robbery in Idaho carries with it a mandatory minimum prison sentence of five years and a potential life sentence.