Tustin school district employee charged with sexual assault of minor

Police arrested a Tustin Unified School District employee this week for allegedly sexually assaulting a high school student. 

Mariano Hernandez, 31, was charged with two counts of penetration of a vulnerable person, two counts of sexual penetration by foreign object of an underage victim, one count of contacting a minor with the intent to commit a sex offense and one count of meeting a minor to commit lewd conduct — all felonies — according to a release from the Santa Ana Police Department. 

Officers were dispatched to Westwood Avenue and Riviera Drive at around 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday after learning of sexual activity inside of a car in the area, according to the statement. When they arrived, they found Hernandez and a girl in the back seat of a car. 

The girl is a 16-year-old student from Foothill High School, where she met the suspect, police said. 

Hernandez, who works at TUSD as a behavior interventionist at Benson Elementary School, had been dating the girl for a few weeks, police further noted. 

Due to the nature of the crimes, police believe there may be additional victims and ask anyone who may know more to contact them at (714) 245-8379.