A Falls man has been charged with the armed robbery of prescription pain killers from a Michigan Avenue pharmacy.

William Hald, 35, 419 25th St. now faces charges of second-degree robbery and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Falls police detectives say they were called out about 3:50 p.m., Thursday for a report of a robbery at the Community Medical Pharmacy in the 900 block of Michigan Avenue.

Witnesses said a suspect, wearing a military style jacket with a black mask covering his face and carrying a silver handgun went to the front counter of the pharmacy and ordered all the employees into a back room. Once inside the room, the suspect told an employee to, “”Show me the Opana.””

The employee gave the suspect a quantity of Opana and hydrocodone, both prescription pain medications. The suspect then fled from pharmacy.

Another witness in the pharmacy saw the suspect get into a pickup truck and head west on Michigan Avenue. The witness was able to see the license plate of the truck and gave that information to the first officers who arrived at the robbery scene.

Police dispatchers were able to trace the truck’s registration to a 25th Street address. Patrol and Roving Ant-Crime Unit officers then went to the home and surrounded it after they found the suspect vehicle parked in front of the house.

Detectives said they spoke to the owner of the truck, Hald, and were given permission to search the truck and his home. A patrol officer located a black mask in the truck, while detectives found three bottles containing the stolen pills hidden in the basement rafters of Hald’s home.

Police said they also recovered what they believe was the weapon used in the robbery. Investigators say it was a silver BB gun that appeared to be a real handgun.

Detectives said Hald then admitted that he had committed the robbery.