A San Diego, California, “Teacher of the Year” was arrested Tuesday, charged with child molestation, then arrested again Thursday.
Tuesday, Jacqueline Ma, 34, was arrested on three counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 and three counts of oral copulation with a child under 14, according to a report from The Western Journal.
San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez said National City police arrested Ma again Thursday. Additional charges lodged against the teacher include six felony counts of knowingly possessing obscene material featuring children. She was also charged with four felony counts of having child pornography. Ma was further charged with one felony count of trying to persuade a witness to not testify against her.
The 5-foot-9-inch 168-pound teacher is detained in Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility after she was denied bail, according to the sheriff. Ma’s arraignment is scheduled to be conducted Monday at 1:30 p.m., according to law enforcement records.
National City School District Superintendent Leighangela Brady confirmed in a Tuesday statement that Ma was arrested on campus, around 8 a.m., away from students, according to an NBC San Diego report.
The 14-year-old boy whom Ma allegedly molested is the only victim the district is aware of, the report added, noting that child is no longer a student in the district.
Before her arrest, Ma taught sixth grade students at Lincoln Acres Elementary School in the National City School District. She was reportedly released on bail after Tuesday’s arrest, which was revoked after her second arrest Thursday.
Aileen Carillo’s younger brother was a former student of Ma’s, according to the NBC San Diego report.
“She went over the top,” Carrillo reportedly said. “She would go to my brother’s games in Tijuana every weekend. She went to one of his birthday parties, everything.”
“Honestly, I used to tell my mom, ‘Why is she always texting my brother?’ And she had contact, too, but the way she was always checking in with my brother, I thought it was nice at first, like she really cares, but I’ve had a lot of impactful teachers that didn’t have to be that close.”
