Police Department - Press Release

TEACHER ARRESTED FOR CHILD MOLESTATION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 4, 2008

Contact:

Lieutenant Alex Padilla
(310) 458-8418

On Friday, May 2, 2008, Detectives from the Santa Monica Police Department interviewed a 12-year-old girl, accompanied by her parents, who told Detectives she had been molested by a school teacher assigned to Lincoln Middle School located in Santa Monica. During the course of the investigation it became clear that there are possibly additional victims.

Detectives working closely with representatives from the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District were able to identify the teacher.

On Saturday, May 3, 2008, Detectives arrested Thomas Arthur Beltran a Male Hispanic, 60 years of age and a Los Angeles resident. Suspect Beltran was arrested in the 6100 block of Centinela Avenue in Culver City. Suspect Beltran was booked at the Santa Monica jail for child molestation and his bail has been set at $1.1 million.

This is an ongoing investigation and anyone with additional information is encouraged to call the Santa Monica Police Department Detectives at (310) 458-8451 (M – F, 8 AM – 5 PM) or the Communications Center at (310) 458-8491 (during non-business hours). Anyone wishing to remain anonymous may call the SMPD Detectives Tip Line at (310) 458-8449 or the WeTip hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463).

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