SAN ANTONIO – A Texas nurse allegedly stole drug vials meant for patients so he could inject himself with pain medication, and then refilled the vials with another liquid.
Bexar County court records show Kyle Evans, 29, faces charges of tampering with a consumer product and drug diversion.
Authorities say the Northeast Methodist Hospital employee was caught in February after stealing five vials of a pain medicine called hydromorphone. Evans allegedly lifted the vials from a Pyxis MedStation, an automated medication dispensing machine.
Evans later admitted to injecting the drugs with a syringe while working, telling investigators he refilled the vials with a saline solution and glued the tops shut, according to an affidavit obtained by the San Antonio Express-News. Lab tests on the liquid are still pending, but some of the samples have tested positive for lidocaine.
Evans is HIV positive, according to the affidavit, and investigators have not yet been able to determine if he used the same syringe to inject himself and refill the vials, potentially putting patients at risk of contracting the disease.
Evans was booked into the Bexar County Jail.
