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Teacher arrested in molestations

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Times Staff Writer

A teacher at Stevenson Middle School in East Los Angeles has been arrested on suspicion of molesting five teenage girls, and Los Angeles police detectives said there could be more victims.

Antonio Gomez, 35, of Downey was arrested March 6 after a monthlong investigation, said Det. Kathie McCarthy of the Robbery-Homicide Division.

Formal charges are pending, but Gomez has been accused of committing lewd acts with a child younger than 14 and is free on $100,000 bail, police said.

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Five girls, including two sisters, said they were molested, McCarthy said. The girls are 13 to 16 years old.

Detectives said Gomez might have molested other girls who attended the school or whom he met through coaching local youth sports. Gomez taught basketball and baseball, police said.

Gomez has been reassigned to a site where he has no contact with students, pending the completion of the investigation.

“We certainly encourage, urge, the community to come forth with any information, any allegations, and report those to the police,” Stevenson Principal Teresa Hurtado said.

richard.winton@latimes.com

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