A female educational assistant Hermiston police arrested Wednesday on suspicion of sex crimes could shortly face a grand jury.
Roxanna Guadalupe Mata, 23, works at Armand Larive Middle School. Hermiston police arrested Mata and put her in the Umatilla County Jail, where she remains on a $50,000 bond.
The Umatilla County District Attorney's office charged Mata with two counts of sexual abuse II and two counts of rape III. Both are Class C felonies and neither carries mandatory minimum prison sentences.
According to Oregon Revised Statutes, a person commits rape in the third degree if the person has sex with a victim less than 16 years of age. Sexual abuse II is when a person subjects a victim to sexual intercourse or deviate sexual intercourse. It also pertains if the victim doesn't give consent.
District Attorney Dean Gushwa said there were two victims in this case and there could be more. He said he anticipated presenting the case to a grand jury in the next day or two and his office may file additional charges.
Gushwa said he could not comment on what led police to the arrest or any other element of the investigation because it's ongoing.
The Hermiston School District sent a news release about Mata's arrest.
"We are deeply saddened by the circumstances surrounding this tragedy," the release said.
Following the arrest, district officials immediately placed Mata on administrative leave pending the outcome of a full investigation. District officials do not believe any of the offenses occurred on school grounds.
Mata worked as an educational assistant at Armand Larive for less than one year. The district's release said Mata passed a "rigorous background check and pre-employment drug test prior to employment."
The district also said it is cooperating with police.
Reply With Quote
2 Member(s) thanked for this post
Bookmarks