LITTLE ROCK — A former employee of the Benton Parks and Recreation department has been charged with stealing money that turned up missing from the agency's concession stand account.

Kitty Smith, 57, is facing misdemeanor charges of theft of property and falsifying business records and a felony count of computer fraud, the Benton Police Department said Thursday.

Police spokesman Lt. Kevin Russell said Smith was a secretary with the parks department who had access to the concession money. He said she was dismissed from the job after the theft came to light in April, at which point police also began investigating.

"We've been following the paper trail since," Russell said. "It's taken awhile because we were very thorough."

Police did not release information on how the purported crime unfolded, saying only that the investigation led them to believe Smith was responsible for taking less than $1,000 from the funds and then tampering with business records.

Smith was booked into the Saline County jail with bond set at $5,000.

Russell said additional charges could be forthcoming.