Former Welding Instructor Arrested for Molesting Juvenile Female Student Over 3 Years
Photo: George Moreno
A 59-year-old former welding instructor has been arrested in Santa Ana for multiple counts of molesting a 15-year-old former student.
Suspect George Moreno of Cherry Valley had been a welding instructor at Santa Ana College between 2007 and 2018. The victim, a former student of Moreno’s, told police in August 2019 that she had been molested numerous times by Moreno on the campus over the course of 3 years, beginning in 2015. She was 15 years old when the sexual assault began.
At the time of his arrest on January 7, 2020, Moreno was employed through Riverside County Office of Education as a welding instructor at Alessandro High School in Hemet. He was taken into custody by Santa Ana Police Special Crimes Section detectives and charged with four felony counts of lewd acts with the victim. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 5 years.
Moreno was booked into Orange County Jail and then released after posting $50,000 bail.
Students from Santa Ana Middle College High School, which is in the Santa Ana Unified School District, studied under Moreno during his employment at Santa Ana College. He also taught at several other high schools and community colleges within Southern California. Police believe there are other victims and are asking for the public’s help to identify more.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer commented, “Teachers are entrusted with our most precious resource – our children. Classrooms should be safe place where children can learn – not hunting grounds for predators.”
Anyone with information regarding this suspect is asked to contact Santa Ana Police Detective Gerry Corona at 714-245-8343 or Gcorona@santa-ana.org. You can also call Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS
