RIVERSIDE (CNS) - A Riverside high school teacher suspected of sending
inappropriate text messages to nearly a dozen female students was released
from jail today after posting a $55,000 bond.
Frank Garcia, 49, of Fontana was arrested and booked into the Robert
Presley Jail Wednesday on suspicion of multiple acts of annoying a minor.
Garcia posted bail this morning and was released from custody.
``We are shocked and disappointed by these allegations made against an
RUSD staff member,'' according to a Riverside Unified School District
statement. ``When district officials first learned of the allegations, Mr.
Garcia was immediately placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of
the investigation, and he has not been allowed back to the school since. RUSD
will continue to work with police as the investigation unfolds.''
According to Riverside police Officer Ryan Railsback, the suspect has
worked for the school district for years, first at University Heights Middle
School and most recently at North High School.
Railsback alleged that a girl attending classes at North revealed to
administrators in February that she had received several unsolicited texts from
Garcia, making her uncomfortable. The content of the texts was not disclosed,
but officials immediately went to the police and reported what allegedly had
transpired.
According to Railsback, investigators from the police department's
Sexual Assault-Child Abuse Unit began questioning students, eventually
determining that Garcia had allegedly sent similar texts to 10 other girls.
The suspect was located in Pasadena Wednesday afternoon and taken into
custody without incident.
Railsback said that Garcia has been a home school instructor, tutored
special needs children and worked with youth clubs in the area. Detectives
believe there may be additional victims.
Anyone with information was asked to contact SACA investigators at
(951) 353-7945.
Ken Vincent has retired. We appreciate the way he shared his expertise with many of our young interns and reporters over the nearly eight years he spent as KVCR's lead journalist and Morning Edition host. We wish him a happy and relaxing retirement as he spends more time in his garden and, as he mentioned, more time on the golf course. Thanks Ken!