Las Cruces security guard charged with sexually assaulting teacher
LAS CRUCES NM Dec 6 2017– A security guard who worked at a Las Cruces middle school was arrested Monday on charges that he sexually assaulted and restrained a teacher in her classroom, police said.
Tom M. Trujillo, 59, was charged with first-degree kidnapping, third-degree criminal sexual penetration, bribery of a witness and criminal sexual contact, according to the Las Cruces Police Department. None of the allegations involved any students.
Trujillo, who had been employed as a security guard with the Las Cruces Public Schools since August 2010, resigned on Dec. 1.
“There is absolutely no room for any type of sexual harassment within the school district,” Superintendent Greg Ewing said in a statement. “It is our goal to maintain the safety of all students and all staff when they are on our campuses.”
LCPS policy prohibits sexual harassment that consists of “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, graphic, written, or physical conduct of a sexual nature made by a member of the district staff, student, or member of the public while on district property or while attending an LCPS function.”
The charges against Trujillo stemmed from an incident in September at Mesa Middle School, court records show.
The incident began after a student reported missing money to the teacher and Trujillo on Sept. 25, according to police affidavit. The following day, Sept. 26, Trujillo came into the teacher’s room during third period and went into “police mode,” telling the teacher, “I’m gonna have to pat you down,” the affidavit alleged.
He allegedly took the teacher to an isolated area of the classroom and proceeded to retrain her against her will. The affidavit stated that Trujillo got behind the woman and pushed her up against a desk. He then allegedly placed his hands over her shoulders and groped her body. The woman tried to remove his hands from her body at least four times and she pleaded with him stop multiple times.
But Trujillo allegedly proceeded to sexually assault the teacher, at one point placing his mouth on the woman’s ear as he did so, according to the affidavit.
The teacher was eventually able to move away before the bell rang, but as Trujillo walked away he allegedly told the woman, you’re going to keep this quiet,” and said he would come back later in the day, the affidavit alleged.
The following date, Sept. 27, Trujillo allegedly came to the teacher’s classroom and touched her inappropriately. The teacher eventually told another teacher about the assault in her classroom.
During questioning with police, Trujillo admitted to grabbing the teacher’s chest and taking off, according to the affidavit. He claimed the teacher “never said no” and described the incident as “all mutual.”
Trujillo is being held without bond at the Doña Ana County Detention Center, pending a pretrial detention hearing. Court records show prosecutors have filed a motion seeking to keep Trujillo jailed without bond until trial.
On Tuesday, 9th Judicial District Attorney Andrea Reed was appointed as a special prosecutor in the case, court records show.
