Date: October 7, 2026
Prepared by: Joseph Bober, Public Information Officer
Email: PIO@flaglersheriff.com
Release #: 2026 – 215
An Ormond Beach woman employed as an exceptional student education teacher at Old Kings Elementary School has been arrested for possession of a controlled substance without a prescription following a Flagler County Sheriff’s Office investigation in which deputies determined she stole prescription medication from a coworker.
On Oct. 5, a school resource deputy was contacted to investigate a theft after a school employee reported she had video evidence showing a coworker, Deborah Gibbens, 51, of Ormond Beach, stealing her prescribed hydrocodone from her office.
The victim stated she had noticed several pills missing from her prescription, which she kept in a backpack in her office, approximately three weeks earlier. The victim then set up a surveillance camera in the office. The day the theft was reported, the victim returned from a meeting and found two of four pills gone. The camera footage showed Gibbens rummaging through the backpack, remove the pill container, then put it back and zip up the backpack. The victim said she didn’t know how Gibbens knew she had the medication in her backpack and did not give her permission to take any pills.
The deputy then met with Gibbens, who originally denied going into the backpack and taking the pills. When the deputy informed her the incident had been caught on camera, she admitted to taking the pills and stated she had done so on multiple occasions, with the first incident occurring on Aug. 31. Gibbens then said she believed she was taking ibuprofen and Tylenol. Gibbens did not have a prescription for hydrocodone. The victim chose not to prosecute for the theft.
On Oct. 6, deputies obtained a warrant for Gibbens’ arrest for possession of a controlled substance without a prescription. Later that day, the FCSO Fugitive Apprehension Unit assisted the Ormond Beach Police Department with locating and arresting Gibbens on her active warrant.
Photo 1: Deborah Gibbens is arrested in Ormond Beach, Fla., Oct. 6, 2026.
Photo 2: Deborah Gibbens (Volusia County Branch Jail mug shot)
“Teachers are trusted to set the example as they should be role models for their students. Sneaking into a coworker’s backpack, stealing medicine she didn’t have a prescription for, then lying about it severely breaks that trust,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “It’s clear she has a problem. I hope she gets the help she needs.”
“Flagler Schools remains deeply proud of and confident in our extraordinary faculty and staff who serve our students with dedication and care every day. One individual’s poor choice is in no way a reflection of the amazing employees across our district,” said Flagler Schools Superintendent LaShakia Moore. “When issues arise that require investigation, we take them seriously and cooperate fully with the necessary parties. Our primary focus remains on supporting our students and the incredible educators who serve them.”
Gibbens was transported to the Volusia County Branch Jail, where she was later released on a $2,500 bond.
