Three former elementary students testify against Fresno-area teacher accused of sex abuse
A former Mendota educator will face a trial on charges he molested several students while he was a second-grade teacher at Washington Elementary School in 2012 and 2013, a Fresno County Superior Court judge ruled Wednesday.
Richard Garcia, 54, is charged with four felony counts of continuous sexual abuse of a child. If convicted on all counts, he faces a maximum of 64-years-to-life.
At his preliminary hearing Wednesday, three of Garcia’s former students testified about how he touched them inappropriately while helping them with their school work.
For some students, the touching happened several times a week, said prosecutor Tatiana Devita.
Garcia was a second-grade teacher at Washington Elementary from Aug. 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013. He since had been promoted to principal at McCabe Elementary School.
The allegations against Garcia came to light in 2018 after the Mendota Police Department received information from a former student alleging Garcia had molested her several times when she was in the second grade.
“He would kneel behind me and put his hands on my private parts,” the former student testified.
The former student, who is now 17, also accused Garcia of calling her over to his desk and asking her to sit on his lap. He then began touching her body over her clothes.
The students were between the ages of 7 and 8 at the time.
A second former student testified Garcia also touched her inappropriately. She accused him of touching her thighs with his hands. She said he would have the student stand in front of him while he sat with his legs spread apart.
A third former student described a similar situation where Garcia would have the student come over to his desk while he got physically close to her.
Garcia would then allegedly put his arm around the student’s waist and then move his hand down toward her vagina.
When asked by the prosecutor why she didn’t tell anyone, she said she was scared.
“I was afraid people would say I was a liar and they wouldn’t believe me over him because he was a teacher,” the third student said.
Garcia’s defense attorney is Daniel L. Harralson.
Garcia’s next court date is May 25 in Department 31 and he remains out of jail on bond.
