Arizona hospital employee arrested, accused of stealing protective equipment

(CNN) -- An employee at an Arizona hospital was arrested after being accused of stealing $1,700 worth of protective equipment and cleaning supplies, police said.

Keith Brown, 49, was arrested and booked into the Yavapai County Jail on one count of felony theft and one count of fraud, the Prescott Police Department said in a statement Saturday.

The arrest comes at a time when health care workers and others on the frontline of the coronavirus epidemic are facing a critical shortage of protective equipment including masks, gloves, cleaning products and toilet paper, which are hard to find across the country.

Brown worked in the housekeeping department of the Yavapai Regional Medical Center West Campus, who contacted police on Friday regarding suspicions that Brown had been stealing supplies.

While being interviewed by police, Brown admitted to stealing gloves, hand sanitizer, surgical scrubs, wash cloths, paper towels, masks, bleach cleaner, toilet paper, and an automatic hand sanitizer over the last three weeks, Prescott Police said.

CNN has reached out to Brown for comment.

Brown has been terminated from his job at the Yavapai Regional Medical Center West Campus, police said.

The police department said it is working with the hospital to return the items as soon as they are deemed safe to use.

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