DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Dozens of pain pills were found in a Volusia County teacher's purse after she was caught stealing hundreds of dollars' worth of items from Target, according to the Daytona Beach Police Department.
A loss prevention officer at Target on International Speedway Boulevard on Friday saw Kimberly Vicars, 46, taking clothes and toiletries off the shelves and stuffing them into two tote bags, the affidavit said.
Police said Vicars, a teacher at Hinson Middle School, exited through the front door without making any attempt to pay for the 32 items. The items had a total value of $522.25, according to the report.
Vicars' purse was searched and police said they found 29 hydrocodone pills, four carisoprodol pills, plus small pieces of a green and orange pill that police were not able to identify, the affidavit said.
Police said Vicars told them the pain pills were prescribed but she was unable to provide the physician's name and she did not have them stored in a proper container.
Vicars was charged with trafficking in hydrocodone, because she had more than 4 grams of the drug, and grand theft, records show.
A Volusia County Schools spokeswoman said Vicars is an eighth-grade language arts teacher who passed a background check and drug test prior to being hired with the district. She has no disciplinary issues in her file.
In light of the arrest, Vicars has been reassigned to a position with no student contact while her criminal case moves through the legal system, which the spokeswoman said is standard procedure.