WEST HOLLYWOOD—An elementary school teacher was arrested on March 11 for allegedly abusing a 10-year-old female student.
Thelmo Garcia, 37, has been employed by the Los Angeles Unified School District since 1999 and began teaching fourth-grade in 2011 at Rosewood Elementary which is located on the West Hollywood border. It was a position he was removed from in February 2015.
Parents of Rosewood students received a phone call Wednesday night informing them of the allegations against Garcia. Though it was made clear that the allegations weren’t sexual in nature, the exact nature of his alleged crime remained confidential until Friday, March 13, when it was revealed that Garcia is being accused of putting a plastic bag over a 10-year-old student’s head.
Following his arrest, Garcia was held on $100,000 bail. He pleaded not-guilty to the charges levied against him. If convicted, he faces up to six years in prison.
