A 22-year-old student aide working at Crescenta Valley High School has been arrested on suspicion of sending inappropriate messages to a student at the campus, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The suspect, identified as Oscar Urrutua Zelaya of Los Angeles, was employed by an outside agency contracted to work at the La Crescenta school. His access to the campus has since been revoked.
According to NBC Los Angeles, a teenager came forward with text messages last week, prompting school administrators to notify the sheriff's department. Detectives with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department determined that Zelaya had sent inappropriate messages to the minor student, and he was arrested on suspicion of annoying or molesting a child under 18 years old.
Detectives Still Investigating the Allegations
Detectives are continuing to investigate the allegations, the station's report notes. Captain Ryan A. Vienna said the department takes seriously protecting youth from people who might exploit or harm them. Vienna also encouraged parents to check with their children for additional victims and to report any information about victimization to the station immediately, per the same account.
Anyone with information about this case or similar incidents involving Crescenta Valley High School is asked to contact Crescenta Valley Sheriff's Station Detective Ponce at 818-236-4015, the article states.
Campus Policing Arrangement Dates to 2022
Crescenta Valley High School has had a dedicated sheriff's presence on campus since 2022, when the Glendale Unified School District board approved an agreement with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department to place a school resource deputy at both Crescenta Valley High School and Rosemont Middle School, according to the Crescenta Valley Weekly. That outlet reported the deputy assigned to the two schools comes from the Crescenta Valley Sheriff's Station, the same station now handling the investigation into Zelaya.
The arrest remains an open investigation, and no further details about the case have been released.
