Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor SAN GABRIEL - The San Gabriel Unified School District announced an assistant principal was arrested, accused of a sex crime against a minor.
Michael Guzman, 57, was arrested by officers from the Los Angeles Police Department Hollenbeck Division November 13. Guzman was charged at a November 15 arraignment with four counts of lewd acts upon a child age 14 or 15. Guzman pleaded not guilty, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. The alleged lewd acts took place 20 years ago when Guzman was a history teacher and girls basketball coach, according to the Los Angeles Times. The two victims are also suing the Los Angeles Unified School District over the alleged sexual assaults. “Upon learning the nature of the charges, the assistant principal was immediately placed on unpaid administrative leave pending the outcome of criminal the proceedings, and is barred from any District property,” according to the San Gabriel Unified School District in a written statement. There was no information suggesting the victim or victims are students are from any San Gabriel Unified schools, according to the district statement. In a “cold call” conducted by a LAPD detective months prior to the arrest, one of the victims questioned Guzman, who was put on speaker phone, why he assaulted her. Guzman allegedly apologized to her, according to the Times. Guzman was arrested at 10 a.m. and booked at 12:01 p.m. November 13. He posted bond November 16, according to Los Angeles County booking records. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor REGION - Multiple private schools have been evacuated and have closed the rest of the day after an email threat was sent to the schools.
Damien High School in La Verne was evacuated and will remain closed Monday, according to the La Verne Police Department. “Following further investigation, the threat appears to have come from overseas and has been deemed not credible by LVPD,” according to the La Verne Police Department. Students at St. John the Baptist School in Baldwin similarly evacuated and closed Monday around 10:20 a.m. after a threat was received, according to a parent who received an email and voicemail to pick up their child. “This morning a mass email was sent out to some Catholic and non-Catholic schools making a threat to school safety on this date. While there is no current evidence to suggest that this threat is credible, out of an abundance of caution, we decided to cancel classes for today,” according to an email sent by St. John the Baptist School. Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic School in Claremont and Bishop Amat High School also canceled classes for Monday and sent students home after receiving a similar thread. Fox11 News reported that a Catholic School in Compton received a similar threat. “The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is aware of the online threats to schools in LA County. LA County Sheriff’s Stations will conduct patrol checks at local schools throughout the day. We will continue to monitor and provide future information as it becomes available,” according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor REGION - Law enforcement and school authorities are extra vigilant Friday after students reported separate incidents of stalking.
A student of the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District was reportedly grabbed by a man while walking to school around 8:30 a.m. September 14. The student was able to break free and notify school and Sheriff’s deputies, according to school officials. The suspect, last seen near Hacienda Boulevard and Francisquito Avenue. He is a Latino man in his 40s, wearing a yellow shirt, blue hat and neck tattoo he drove a white van. West Covina Unified officials said a similar incident occurred in their area where a student appeared to be followed near Hollenbeck and Hollencrest. Authorities searched for, but did not locate the white van that was seen. “As this case undergoes investigation, HLPUSD school police, City of Industry deputies and the West Covina Police Department will be providing additional patrol officers in the surrounding areas,” according Alfonso Jiménez, superintendent of schools for the Hacienda La Puente School District. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor WHITTIER – A police presence will be felt at Dexter Middle today after a threat of violence surfaced on social media.
A student allegedly threatened to show up to Dexter Middle School, 11532 Floral Dr., with a handgun. Phone calls came into the Whittier Police Department starting at 9 p.m. December 12, according to the Whittier Police Department. Officers located and spoke to the student and his parents. “Upon concluding this in-depth investigation, it was determined that the student did not have access to any firearms. The school has been notified, and we will also have an officer standing by at Dexter School tomorrow,” according to the Whittier Police Department in a written statement. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor REGION – Deputies are investigating a phoned threat about a shooting, or weapons threat inside an unspecified high school, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said Thursday. Parents and students report heavy law enforcement presence at Rosemead High School, 9063 Mission Dr., in Rosemead. The San Gabriel Unified School District reported lockdowns were initiated at district schools out of an abundance of caution. The threat was reported more than an hour ago. “There was a threat regarding a weapon inside a high school. There were no witnesses or victims identified yet,” according to Deputy James Nagao of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Information Bureau.
San Gabriel Police had San Gabriel High School surrounded, but lockdowns at all San Gabriel Unified Schools have since been lifted. There is still no immediate threat, police said. The incident may have been a prank call, which may have begun as a report of a son shooting his mother and was en route to Rosemead High School, according to Sheriff’s radio traffic. |
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