SAN ANTONIO – Officials at the North Side Independent School District said the man arrested Monday for indecency with a child was not a regular volunteer.
Gambino Barrera, 38, was visiting Colonies North Elementary when he allegedly assaulted four female students.
Pascual Gonzalez, a spokesman with the Northside Independent School District, said last Thursday Barrera and his mother were visiting his niece who attends the elementary school.
According to Gonzalez, that's when Barrera agreed to volunteer with a kickball tournament.
"In the course of all of that, four fourth and fifth-grade girls went to their teacher and said that this man had touched them inappropriately," said Gonzalez.
The students told a teacher what happened right away, Gonzalez said.
That teacher immediately contacted the principal who then contacted police, the parents and child protective services.
The teacher allowed Barrera to help because he was given permission to be on campus.
"Obviously, the machine can't forecast behavior but he had a clear criminal background," said Gonzalez.
"I was very shocked," said Shelby Jacobs, who has a student at Colonies North Elementary. "It really surprised me."
Jacobs said she couldn't believe this happened at her son's school, but understands things like this can easily slip through the cracks.
"They do extensive background checks to be a volunteer in the classroom, things like that," said Jacobs. "So, I'm glad there are background checks and stuff, but it happens sometimes, sometimes (there are) bad people."
According to an arrest affidavit, when questioned, Barrera admitted he did wrong, but said he was "convinced one of the girls was flirting with him."