Reward for Molester Raised to $60,000

The Los Angeles Board of Education unanimously approved a $10,000 reward Monday for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a child molester responsible for at least 32 incidents involving Valley children walking to and from school.

The school board action brings the reward pot to $60,000, including $25,000 each from the discretionary office funds of Los Angeles City Council members Laura Chick and Zev Yaroslavsky.

School board member Julie Korenstein, who introduced the motion, said she hopes the mounting reward money will prompt someone to come forward with information.

“We have a very serious safety situation in the San Fernando Valley and we have a very unfortunate environment for our children,” Korenstein said. “I am hopeful that this problem will be resolved before our children come back from winter break.”

In a related motion, school board members issued a plea to residents and business people around schools citywide to use extra vigilance in watching out for children and to report suspicious people to police or school authorities.

“In this day and age, we are not talking just about problems in one area,” said school board member Warren Furutani, who dubbed the plan LAUSD Kid Watch. “It would behoove this community for adults to start looking out for kids. And there is no better place to start than from schools.”