A Los Angeles Unified School District teacher left her husband because of her obsession with a middle school student accused of sexual abuse, calling the boy her “meth” and saying she was going to “go to jail for him.” Prosecutors said in court Tuesday.
Colleen Jo Matarico, 43, was arrested last week and charged with seven counts of molesting a boy she met when she was 12 years old, authorities said. The alleged sexual abuse continued for more than a year, according to the criminal complaint. Matariko is also suspected of giving the boy marijuana. Los Angeles police said last week that a teacher had “groomed” him.
“The allegations against Ms. Matariko are deeply disturbing and betray the trust that students, their families, and the entire community have placed in her,” Los Angeles Township said in a statement. Atty. Georges Gascon said in a statement last week. “I would like to recognize the courage of the young victim and his decision to report the abuse.”
Matariko appeared in court in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday and pleaded not guilty. After her attorney asked a judge to release her without bail, a sheriff’s deputy asked that she be released without bail. Atty. Ariel Anson detailed the abuse allegations, claiming there were text messages that showed Matariko had no intention of ending their relationship even if he was released.
Anson said Matariko began having inappropriate relationships with students when she turned 13. Much of the alleged abuse occurred between August and November 2023, according to the complaint.
John Burroughs Middle School officials first received a concerning report about Mataricio last October and immediately contacted the Los Angeles Police Department, according to a statement released by the school’s principal and provided to the Times by an LAUSD spokesperson. I contacted you.
Anson said the initial investigation did not yield enough evidence to support the alleged victim’s claims, but court records show that two of the eight counts against Matariko stem from more recent acts. is described. Mr Anson said Mr Matariko’s behavior towards the boy “became even more severe” after he learned that police were investigating.
Over the past few days, Anson said, Matariko drove to the student’s new high school, waited for him in the car, and they had another sexual encounter there. Anson also accused Matariko of contacting a third party, one of the student’s friends, through Instagram direct messages to continue communicating with the boy.
In text messages written by Anson, Matariko said she was in love with the teen, that she had left her husband because of the relationship, and that he was “the only person who will go to jail.” ” is said to have been said.
“He’s her stimulant,” Anson said, referring to text messages she allegedly sent using that language. Anson argued that the boy would not be safe if Matariko was released from prison.
Anson described Matariko as “separated” from her husband. The teacher was arrested on Nov. 7, according to a statement from LAUSD.
“Multiple members of her family have begged her and asked her to end the relationship.” [with the boy]” Anson told the court.
Anson did not directly present text evidence in court Tuesday. Los Angeles County Public Defender Carlos Vido argued that the teacher should be released on house arrest with electronic monitoring.
According to Bido, Matariko has no criminal record. She has two children and grandchildren and has been a teacher in the area for 24 years, Bid said.
“MS. Matariko is cooperating fully with the legal process and is prepared to address these serious allegations in court,” Bido told The Times in a statement. “We ask the public to respect the presumption of innocence and refrain from speculation as we work to gather all relevant facts.”
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Susan J. de Witt refused to release Matariko, who remains jailed, in lieu of $590,000. She is scheduled to appear in court in late November.
In a news release issued last week, the Los Angeles Police Department said they were searching for additional victims. Ms. Anson said she could not comment on whether anyone else had made accusations against Mr. Matariko.
A LAUSD spokesperson has not disclosed Matariko’s employment status since her arrest, but Vido described her in court as “on leave.”
De Witt also granted a request for a protection order that would prohibit Matariko from speaking to the boy or coming near his home or his new school, but the judge ruled that the order would be issued in open court to protect the student’s identity. was not made clear.
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