James Michael Esquivel, 28, a teacher at San Antonio's Reagan High School, was charged with sexual assault and burglary for allegedly breaking into and assaulting his ex-girlfriend. Bexar County sheriff's deputies claimed that Esquivel forced the woman back into the home and sexuall y assaulted her.
The woman, who sources said is also an employee of the North East Independent School District, then convinced Esquivel to allow her to check on her children, who were upstairs.
"She went upstairs and went into the room and he didn't follow her," said Chief Deputy Dale Bennett of the Bexar County Sheriff's Office. "When she was in the room, she called 911."
Deputies arrived at the home and found Esquivel inside, Bennett said. He was arrested without incident and charged with sexual assault and burglary and was being held in the Bexar County Jail on $100,000 bond.
Sexual assault in Texas is a 2nd degree felony with a 2 to 20 year sentence range and a lifetime SO registration requirement.
(Update 4-22-08) A second victim came forward and alleged that Esquivel raped her after meeting her at a bar. She came forward after seeing Esquivel's arrest for the alleged assault on the ex-girlfriend.
Wednesday's arrest came after a woman told sheriff's deputies that Esquivel assaulted her after she and her cousin met him and a friend at a bar.
The woman had been drinking, she said in an affidavit, and went home with her cousin, where she passed out. Esquivel and his friend later arrived at the home but the woman told the group she was going to sleep. When she woke up the next morning, Esquivel was lying next to her, she said, and her pants and underwear were missing.
She felt compelled to come forward and make a claim that he did sexually assault her," said [Deputy]Chief[Ronald] Bennett.
Chief Bennett said the woman had passed out in her bedroom from drinking too much. That's when Esquivel raped her. The chief also believes there's one maybe two more women out there who have also been sexually abused by Esquivel. He hopes they come forward as well.
"We really want to clear these cases, we know there are some victims out there," said Chief Bennett.
Right now, Esquivel is behind bars, still getting paid by the North East Independent School District.
"The law says that all teachers under contract, they will get continue to get paid, so we have to pay him, even though he's on administrative leave," said Laura Calderon of North East ISD.
But the district found a loophole. Esquivel was hired less than three years ago and still considered to be on probation. Plus, the school year is about to end.
"Because of those two pieces the board has the option to not renew his contract for the following school year," said Calderon.
In 2006, another ex-girlfriend took out a protective order against him, claiming he was violent and sexually assaulter her twice.
In the 2006 case, Esquivel was charged with a family violence assault, a Class A misdemeanor. It later was downgraded when he agreed to plead no contest to a Class C misdemeanor of assault by offensive touch. He received deferred adjudication after completing family violence and anger management classes.
Esquivel resigned Friday, because the school board was scheduled to terminate him Monday.
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