Rosemead Wrestling Coach Charged With Lewd Acts Caught In Mexico
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A former Rosemead wrestling coach accused of sexually abusing a 14-year-old boy was behind bars on Thursday.
KNX 1070's John Brooks reports Herbert Oritz is back in Los Angeles after he was caught in Mexico, where he apparently spent the last two months hiding from authorities.
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Ortiz, 29, arrived at Los Angeles International Airport in the custody of Mexican officials and was turned over to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, according to authorities.
Ortiz was caught after he visited a U.S. Consulate in Guadalajara in an effort to secure a visa to travel to Guatemala. He was detained after a background check revealed a warrant for his arrest on charges of lewd acts with a minor.
Deputy Don Walker said the former assistant wrestling coach at Rosemead High School fled the country after a boy's mother called the Sheriff's Department after watching a video her son had posted on YouTube warning others about Ortiz.
"In the video, a male alleged he was also a victim of the suspect and was warning viewers - specifically those residing in Rosemead - to protect their children," said Walker.
Ortiz was booked at the L.A. County Jail and bail was set at $215,000.
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