A veterinary technician in upstate New York was convicted of stealing life-saving oncology medications used to treat animals with cancer from the facility she used to work for, the local district attorney's office said.

Elisa Sanchez, a resident of Dutchess County, was convicted Friday of grand larceny in the third degree and criminal possession of stolen property in the third degree, Putnam County District Attorney Robert Tendy announced Monday.

According to the charges cited by Tendy, Sanchez, who was employed as a veterinary technician for Guardian Veterinary Specialists in the Town of Southeast, was found guilty of stealing the much-needed medications.

According to the district attorney, the Putnam County Sheriff's Office were called to the veterinary business on July 28, 2022 after workers allegedly witnessed Sanchez putting these life-saving medications in her bag. The workers also saw Sanchez do the same thing in the past before reporting her to management, which eventually led to her arrest and her subsequent termination from Guardian Veterinary Specialists.

"It’s very sad that essential cancer medications for dogs, cats-- people’s beloved pets--would be stolen by a vet tech. It’s just a really low thing to do. Fortunately, the Guardian employees and management were vigilant and reached out to law enforcement," Tendy said.

Sanchez is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 31, 2024. She faces a maximum sentence of 2 1/3 to 7 years in prison.