Glendale High School coach charged with vandalism
Gretchen Hoffman
A physical education teacher who helps coach a Glendale High
School baseball team was charged Wednesday with vandalizing an
ex-girlfriend’s car and getting a 17-year-old friend to help him.
Hector Menchaca, 24, was charged with felony vandalism and one
misdemeanor count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor,
Deputy Dist. Atty. Robert E. Savitt said.
The North Hollywood resident allegedly vandalized a former
girlfriend’s car several times in August and September.
On one occasion, he enlisted the help of a 17-year-old friend to
slash his ex-girlfriend’s tires, and the incident was caught on tape,
prosecutors said. The teenager does not attend Glendale High School.
Savitt would not say whether the teen was male or female. Menchaca
could not be reached for comment.
All of the incidents occurred at Universal Studios, where the
victim works.
Menchaca is a first-year physical education teacher at Glendale
High who helps coach the baseball team, Glendale Unified School
District spokesman Vic Pallos said.
“His status [as a teacher and coach] will be evaluated,” Pallos
said. “We have not yet received the information from the district
attorney on the charges that have been filed against him.”
Co-principal Mike Livingston said he believed Menchaca coached the
school’s freshman baseball team last season but declined to comment
further.
Menchaca is set to be arraigned Dec. 2 in Beverly Hills Superior
Court.