Last Updated on May 30, 2022
A substitute teacher who worked at a Southern California elementary school has been arrested and charged with allegedly molesting four female students in a classroom. The alleged victims, who are between the ages of eight and nine, told investigators the teacher touched them inappropriately in separate incidents inside Adams Elementary School in Santa Ana, according to local law enforcement.
“Each victim was molested individually and at different times throughout the day,” the Santa Ana Police Department said in a statement.
69-year-old Peter Morales has been identified as the alleged predator, according to ABC 7 Los Angeles. Morales was a teacher for the Santa Ana Unified School District for 18 years before becoming a substitute teacher.
The district said that he has been removed from the substitute list following his arrest.
Authorities believe that more victims could be forthcoming and have urged anyone with information about the case to contact Detective Anthony Pacheco at (714) 245-8352, apacheco@santa-ana.org or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS.
The California teacher was booked on suspicion of child molestation, but he has since been released on $100,000 bail. According to Orange County sheriff’s jail records, a court date has not been scheduled in his case.
