The Daily Blotter 07/13/10

AUSTIN (KXAN) - 2 arrested in attempted burglary

Austin police arrested two men on Monday after they were caught allegedly trying to break down a wall between two businesses.

Frank Flores and Daniel Valderas were arrested when police responded to a burglar alarm at 4203 James Casey St. , where OSA Optical and S&S Pharmacy are located.

A common wall between the businesses had been broken with a sledge hammer.

Police said they believe Flores and Valderas were trying to break into the building to steal medications from the pharmacy.

Man arrested for allegedly injuring daughter

Austin police arrested Daniel Ramos, 35, on Sunday after his 13-year-old daughter reported he allegedly hit her with a metal chair after the two argued.

The girl said it was a dispute about cleaning up the house.

Ramos' daughter said he first hit her with an open palm before he hit her with the metal chair. She suffered a bump on her head in the incident.

Cops: H-E-B employee caught stealing painkillers

ROUND ROCK, Texas -

An H-E-B employee posted bond Tuesday after she said she stole hundreds of pain pills from the Round Rock pharmacy, Williamson County Jail officials said.

Authorities said Holly Jo Campbell, 41, confessed to taking bottles of hydrocodone from the store's pharmacy to support her painkiller addiction.

She reportedly told H-E-B personnel she was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and has prescriptions for several other pain medications. However, she said she had built up a tolerance and needed more pills than her prescriptions could get her.

According to the court documents, pharmacy workers began noticing discrepancies in the supply of hydrocodone in January and began monitoring the number of narcotics more heavily, including counting them daily.

When another shortage was reported, management placed surveillance cameras in the pharmacy. Those videos reportedly showed Campbell entering the pharmacy on March 15 taking an entire 100-count bottle off the shelf, something authorities said she later told H-E-B personnel she did several times a month.

When confronted by the H-E-B Area Loss Prevention manager and the store director, Campbell reportedly agreed to turn over the remaining pills to police.

Pending a Human Resources review of the case, H-E-B suspended Campbell from her job on March 25.

Authorities booked Campbell into the Williamson County Jail on Sunday.

-Jayne Furlong

Law enforcement agencies to share airplane use

PFLUGERVILLE, Texas --

A Tecnam Eaglete aircraft will now be shared among local law enforcement agencies in a cost-savings effort.

The city of Pflugerville , through an agreement with Texas Sheriff's  Association and the Law Enforcement Aviation Technology program of the U.S. Department of Justice, will pay only for the costs of the pilot, fuel and the tactical flight officer, who is designated to take photos and provide surveillance while the pilot flies the plane.

"This is a wonderful convenience for the city of Pflugerville," said Jim McLean, assistant chief of police. "An additional benefit of the plane is that it cruises at 110 mph but can slow to 38 mph for surveillance."

McClean is an authorized pilot for the city of Pflugerville and recently participated in operator training in Maryland, which was paid for by the Department of Justice.

The aircraft is valued at approximately $130,000 with a weight of 1320 pounds, a wing span of 28 feet and is 21 feet long. The plane is a two-seater and contains a Rotax 4-stroke engine. The aircraft is equipped with a docking station for hand-held police radios.

Officials say having use of a plane can save law enforcement time and money as it can be used in cases from missing persons to surveying a hostage scene.

All uses of the plane are scheduled through the Texas Sheriff’s Department.

-- Pamela Cosel