LAKELAND, Fla. — A Polk County school employee was arrested Monday after investigators said she stole prescription medication belonging to a student at Lake Gibson High School, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO).
A 67-year-old Theresa Salerno was taken into custody following an investigation which started on Sept. 18, when administrators reported a possible theft.
Detectives said surveillance video showed Salerno picking up the bottle of pills from the student’s desk, leaving the camera’s view, and returning with her hand cupped before placing the bottle back. Nine pills were missing from the original count.
When confronted after returning from vacation, Salerno admitted to removing the pills but claimed she intended to “look up the medication to make sure they were the right pills.”
Salerno was charged with grand theft of a controlled substance, a third-degree felony.
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