A Los Angeles special education teacher is accused of having sex with a 13-year-old student in her car and providing marijuana to minors — and police believe there may be other victims.
Colleen Jo Matarico, 43, of Valley Village, was arrested Thursday and charged with child molestation and furnishing marijuana to a minor. According to the Los Angeles Police Department,
“The teacher groomed and sexually assaulted the 13-year-old victim in his classroom, and later convinced the victim to have sex in his vehicle,” police said in a statement.
“Detectives believe that in addition to Matarico, there are unidentified victims who have not yet come forward,” the LAPD said in an appeal for “additional victims of sexual assault.”
The department listed Matariko only as “a teacher”, without specifying where she taught. However, she is listed as a teacher at John Burroughs Middle School in the Hancock Park area of Los Angeles. According to the school website,
his linkedin profile Explains that she is a special education teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District.
The Post has contacted school officials for comment.
Materico is charged with five counts of lewd acts with a minor, two counts of lewd acts with a minor 14 or 15 years old and one count of furnishing marijuana to a minor.
He is being held on $1.3 million bail.
(TagstoTranslate)US News(T)Child Abuse(T)Los Angeles(T)Molestation(T)Sexual Assault(T)Teacher
