A former child care worker has been taken into state custody yesterday for allegedly stealing $70,000 from children and the mentally disabled.

Police say 34-year-old Angela Crandon, of Bridgeport, had been stealing from the Child Guidance Center of Southern Connecticut, where she worked as a case coordinator responsible for billing services, for more than two years.

The Child Guidance Center is an outpatient mental health center serving approximately 2,000 children.

Police say they have seen an increase in embezzlement cases since the economic downturn, but this case stands out among others considering who the victims are.

Stamford police say Crandon has been charged with first- and second-degree larceny and third-degree forgery.

Crandon is being held on a $75,000 bond. Her next court date is Jan. 5.

Meanwhile, the Child Guidance Center has paid back the embezzled money to the state.