Police are investigating the theft of nearly $1,000 in merchandise from the Columbia Walgreens on Saturday afternoon.

Shortly before 3:15 p.m., police responded to the store, located at 100 Admiral Weinel Boulevard off Route 3, after a black female wearing a face mask left with a shopping cart full of alcohol products and Red Bull with a value of $944.17. A Walgreens clerk observed the woman leave in a silver Volkswagen Jetta driven by a black male.

Police saw the suspect vehicle near the intersection of northbound Route 3 at Veterans Parkway, where it drove on the shoulder to avoid traffic and ran the red light. It ran another red light at the busy intersection of Route 3 and North Main Street and was last seen driving at a high rate of speed west on I-255 toward Missouri.

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call the Columbia Police Department at 618-281-5151.