Vet Technician Accused of Stealing Hydrocodone, Tramadol

A vet technician from Palm Harbor is accused of stealing drugs from her employer.

Pinellas County Sheriff's deputies arrested Danielle Betty Childers, age 27, on one charge of felony grand theft on July 28, 2013.

Childers was a vet technician for Animal Emergency and Urgent Care at 30601 U.S. 19 in Palm Harbor. She had the keys to the business and the clinic's alarm code, according to an arrest affidavit.

Deputies say Childers stole more than 2,000 pills from the clinic's medication safe from November 2012 through June 2013. This included 1,700 tablets of the narcotic-like pain reliever Tramadol ,which were valued at $2,550. Childers is also accused of stealing 400 tablets of the narcotic drug Hydrocodone. The Hydrocodone tablets had a retail value of $900.

Detectives say Childers committed the thefts when the clinic was closed. 

After her arrest, Childers admitted to stealing the drugs. She told deputies she began taking the pills because of back pain and became addicted to them.

Childers was released from the Pinellas County jail after posting $2,000 bond.  

Related-

• Palm Harbor Residents Arrested: July 25-28, 2013