Las Cruces Teacher Arrested

One Las Cruces teacher has been arrested on criminal sexual contact charges, and another is on personal leave from his job. The district did not respond to a request for comment on the matter. However, a bizarre allegation about a former teacher, who is still teaching in the public schools, is popping up in the print edition of local newspapers.

On Wednesday, a 21-year-old man was charged with sexual exploitation of a child in a federal courthouse in Las Cruces. He has a hearing scheduled for Thursday. Joel Aguilar Villanueva will appear for the first time in court on Thursday. It’s not clear whether he will be required to appear in person. But, the US Department of Homeland Security is reportedly investigating the arrest.

In another case, a Mesilla Middle School teacher is accused of sending lewd photos to a female student in June. Ronald Patrick Goranson has been on administrative leave since August. His arrest came after a month-long investigation. Investigators found narcotics in his apartment. Other students confirmed the incidents took place during school trips.

Another teacher in the public schools, Melanie Marolt-Floyd, was charged with abuse of a child and drug paraphernalia. Her 7-year-old son was living with her part-time. According to the affidavit, Marolt’s hair sample showed traces of meth in her system. She is also facing possession charges.

Another teacher in the public schools was arrested on Friday on a charge of sexually assaulting a student. Phillip Hernandez is a theater arts teacher at Centennial High School. Before his arrest, he had been working for Las Cruces Public Schools for several years. Now, his name has been removed from the list of faculty at White Sands Combined Elementary and Middle School.

Earlier this year, a former Las Cruces Public School principal was convicted of child pornography charges. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison. In the meantime, Kathleen Gardner is taking over the school as the interim director. Until then, Young will be on a personal leave. This is the same person who was arrested last October for possession of meth, and he was given a plea bargain.

Another teacher in the Las Cruces Public Schools was also arrested on criminal sexual communication with a child charges. Charles Lee Lucero was arrested on March 25. Lucero has a coaching license for seventh to 12th graders. Lucero is currently held in Dona Ana County Detention Center without bond.

Several other educators in the Las Cruces Public Schools are under investigation. Tom Trujillo has been employed with the district since 2010, and is charged with sexually assaulting a teacher. Jessica Biszick was also arrested for obstruction of reporting of child abuse. Finally, the husband of a retired Las Cruces educator was arrested on suspicion of having sexually abused his wife.

It’s unclear if any other teachers in the Las Cruces Public Schools have been arrested on criminal sexual communication with a child. However, a number of others have been placed on leave or face charges.