A 54-year-old Woodcrest music teacher was taken into custody Thursday, October 29, 2026, after Riverside County investigators served a search warrant at his home, capping an 11-day investigation into reports of inappropriate contact with two young children. Omar Garcia Herrada now faces sexual assault and child sexual abuse charges, and authorities say the case may not be finished uncovering victims.
The investigation began on Oct. 18, when Lake Elsinore deputies responded to a home in the La Cresta area to look into a report described as inappropriate contact between a music teacher and two young children, according to KTLA. That initial response set off a nearly two-week investigation that culminated Thursday, October 29, 2026, at a home in the 14000 block of El Mesa Drive in Woodcrest, where authorities served a search warrant and took Herrada into custody.
The Sheriff’s Office assigned the case to its Special Victims Unit, which worked with Lake Elsinore station investigators, Major Crimes Unit investigators and the department’s high-tech response team during the search. The department’s policy places the unit within its Major Crimes Bureau and assigns it child sexual abuse and serious child physical abuse cases requiring specialized investigative expertise; it can assist station investigators or take over a case. The Sheriff’s Office describes the unit’s role in its standards manual.
Herrada was booked at the Robert Presley Detention Center on sexual assault and child sexual abuse charges stemming from the alleged conduct involving the two children.
Investigators Suspect There Could Be More Victims
The Riverside County Sheriff's Office confirmed the arrest but offered little else, saying only that the case remains active. “This is an ongoing investigation, and no further details are available at this time,” the agency said, per the same account.
More troubling for investigators is the possibility that Herrada's alleged victims extend beyond the two children named in the original report. Investigators believe there may be additional victims who have yet to come forward, the outlet notes, though that remains a belief voiced by investigators rather than a confirmed fact.
California’s mandated-reporting rules provide broader context for suspected abuse in school settings. The state identifies teachers and school employees among those required to report known or reasonably suspected child abuse; the duty is to alert law enforcement or a child-welfare agency, not to determine whether an allegation is true. Reports must be made by phone immediately or as soon as practicable, with a written follow-up within 36 hours. The California Department of Education outlines the reporting requirements.
How To Reach Investigators
Anyone with information about the case can contact Investigator Schell at 951-955-1704 or Sheriff's Dispatch at 951-776-1099.
No additional details about the investigation have been released, and the case remains open as detectives continue to piece together the scope of the alleged abuse.
