Teacher Deborah Gibbens arrested for stealing medications
8 october 2026 в 10:02
A Florida elementary school teacher was arrested after being accused of stealing prescription medication from a colleague’s backpack. The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Deborah Gibbens was taken into custody on October 6 and charged with possession of a controlled substance without a prescription.
The investigation into Gibbens began on October 5, when a school resource deputy received a report of a theft in the school office. The incident was captured on video. Gibbens' colleague set up a camera in the office after suspecting that pills from her prescription for hydrocodone had gone missing three weeks prior. She returned from a meeting to find that two of the four pills were missing from the container in her backpack, prompting her to check the camera footage.
The video shows Gibbens rummaging through the backpack, taking out the pill container, and then returning it before closing the bag. When confronted with the allegations, Gibbens initially denied the theft but later confessed upon realizing the incident had been recorded. She stated that she had taken the pills several times since August 31, believing they were ibuprofen and Tylenol. However, it was revealed that Gibbens did not have a prescription for hydrocodone.
Although the colleague declined to file a theft report, the sheriff’s office obtained a warrant for Gibbens' arrest and apprehended her with the assistance of Ormond Beach police. Sheriff Rick Staly noted that teachers should be role models, and Gibbens' actions undermine that trust.
Following the arrest, Flagler County Schools Superintendent LaShakia Moore stated that the district would cooperate with authorities during the investigation. Gibbens was booked into the Volusia County Jail and later released on a $ 2,500 bond. It is currently unclear whether she has entered a plea or hired an attorney following her arrest. The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has not provided any further updates on the case.
The investigation into Gibbens began on October 5, when a school resource deputy received a report of a theft in the school office. The incident was captured on video. Gibbens' colleague set up a camera in the office after suspecting that pills from her prescription for hydrocodone had gone missing three weeks prior. She returned from a meeting to find that two of the four pills were missing from the container in her backpack, prompting her to check the camera footage.
The video shows Gibbens rummaging through the backpack, taking out the pill container, and then returning it before closing the bag. When confronted with the allegations, Gibbens initially denied the theft but later confessed upon realizing the incident had been recorded. She stated that she had taken the pills several times since August 31, believing they were ibuprofen and Tylenol. However, it was revealed that Gibbens did not have a prescription for hydrocodone.
Although the colleague declined to file a theft report, the sheriff’s office obtained a warrant for Gibbens' arrest and apprehended her with the assistance of Ormond Beach police. Sheriff Rick Staly noted that teachers should be role models, and Gibbens' actions undermine that trust.
Following the arrest, Flagler County Schools Superintendent LaShakia Moore stated that the district would cooperate with authorities during the investigation. Gibbens was booked into the Volusia County Jail and later released on a $ 2,500 bond. It is currently unclear whether she has entered a plea or hired an attorney following her arrest. The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has not provided any further updates on the case.
© Artemenko Olga
