RICHMOND, Ind. - A woman who was the former director of a children's advocacy center was arrested Friday on theft charges.

Indiana State Police said Tamyra Pressnall, 44, of Greenville, Ohio, faces 12 felony theft charges stemming from an investigation that began in March.

Pressnall was director of the Children's Justice and Advocacy Center in Richmond. She was removed from the position as the investigation began, ISP Sgt. John Bowling said.

Police use the center as a resource during investigations of child abuse and neglect, and it gives support and counseling to victims and families of those crimes.

The investigation began when workers discovered activity on a bank statement for the center that they thought was suspicious. The investigation was turned over to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office.

"Preliminary investigation found that Pressnall allegedly made unauthorized purchases in Indiana and Ohio using JACY house accounts," Bowling said. "The purchases totaled less than $5,000."

Pressnall, who had been the center's director since 2010, was being held Friday in the Wayne County Jail on $7,500 bond.