Published on: September 17, 2024, 02:17h.
Last updated on: September 17, 2024, 02:27h.
The news has surfaced about a student attending a high school in Las Vegas who had multiple romantic encounters with a teaching assistant from the same school, as reported by local authorities.
The rendezvous reportedly included visits to Sam’s Town Hotel & Gambling Hall and the Galleria Mall.
The teaching assistant, Jerusalem Garcia, 20, faces charges as of August 23 for communicating with a minor with intentions of a sexual nature, as reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Garcia has been released on bond and is set to appear in court on September 30, according to DailyMail.com.
Although Garcia and the student did not engage in sexual activities, they would embrace and kiss, at times in a bed, based on police reports. It is uncertain whether they stayed at the hotel at Sam’s Town or simply spent time in secluded areas of the property.
Physical Advances
According to Garcia’s statement to the authorities, the student’s physical gestures aroused her, but they did not progress to sexual intercourse due to his age, speculated to be in his teens.
Police reports indicate that Garcia recognized when [the student] was sexually stimulated by him sensually grabbing her buttocks with his hands,” according to a police report. “Garcia allowed this behavior until she also felt aroused and desired sexual intercourse with [the student] but refrained due to his age.”
The series of encounters took place over a span of three months, starting after their initial meeting at a party on May 26.
They maintained contact through Instagram, with Garcia expressing her feelings through messages like “I love you,” “I’m afraid of our relationship,” and “I will be with you forever,” as reported by the Review-Journal.
Their first date was at the Galleria Mall in June, and their final meeting occurred at Sam’s Town.
Garcia mentioned to the police that it was a “loving relationship,” as per an arrest report.
Garcia’s Legal Situation
Garcia was taken into custody at the Clark County Detention Center for her inappropriate interactions with the student. Following the revelation of the relationship, the school district placed Garcia on administrative leave.
The student, enrolled at Eldorado High School, was not named in the reports.
An ex-girlfriend of the student reported the inappropriate relationship with the teaching assistant to the authorities, as per Las Vegas TV station KLAS.
According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the boy would drive Garcia to their destinations as he had access to a car, while she did not. This suggests he is at least 16 years old, though the boy’s age was not disclosed by LVMPD officers.