Guadalupe, a 31-year-old Riverside resident, has been placed on administrative leave, said Elizabeth Pinney-Muglia, a school district spokeswoman.
Pinney-Muglia said sheriff’s investigators told district officials that none of their students are among the alleged victims. But the Sheriff’s Department, as well as the District Attorney’s Office, declined to confirm or refute that assertion on Thursday, Feb. 13, citing the ongoing investigation.
Pinney-Muglia took a week to respond to a Southern California News Group reporter’s repeated inquiries sent by phone and email and left in person. She had little else to say about Guadalupe, declining to provide routinely released information about employees such as his title, job duties or names of the schools where he works.
She also would not supply a copy of any communication sent to parents or employees about the case. Penney-Muglia declined to explain why she would not provide the information.
Guadalupe was identified as a janitor for the district in a sworn declaration written by Deputy Carlos Lucas to Superior Court Judge John M. Monterosso in a successful attempt to increase Guadalupe’s bail.
Guadalupe pleaded not guilty on Jan. 17 at Southwest Justice Center in French Valley to four counts each of lewd acts on a minor younger than 14, oral copulation, sexual penetration of a minor and contacting a minor for sex; and one count each of aggravated sexual assault on a minor, kidnap for robbery or rape and sending harmful matter to a child.
The Public Defender’s Office is representing Guadalupe.
Guadalupe is being held at Cois M. Byrd Detention Center in French Valley in lieu of $1.22 million bail. The criminal complaint says he could face life in prison if convicted on all charges.
The crimes are alleged to have occurred in December 2023, according to the criminal complaint filed by the DA’s Office. If you know a victim of Mario Moralez Guadalupe or have information about the case, contact the Riverside County Sherrif’s office.
Manly, Stewart & Finaldi has represented hundreds of children who were sexually assaulted by teachers and school employees. We secured a settlement of $140 million on behalf of 81 child sexual abuse victims at Miramonte Elementary School in Los Angeles. This was the largest child sexual abuse settlement by a public school district in history. We are also the lead attorneys representing Olympic athletes and victims of former US Olympic Women’s Gymnastics Team Doctor Larry Nassar and secured $890 million in settlements for our clients. In each of these cases we have helped victims and families get justice by conducting a thorough investigation of the organization and the school In many cases we have discovered that administrators and executives know that the perpetrator was a danger to children and either did nothing or actively covered up the crimes.
