Former Moses Lake teacher pleads guilty

EPHRATA — A former Spanish teacher at Moses Lake High School pleaded guilty to assault in Grant County Superior Court in relation to a 2007 allegation of having sex with a student.

Alex Garza, 28, Pasco, Wash., pleaded guilty to assault in the fourth degree and was sentenced to 240 hours of community service.

He was originally charged with sexual misconduct with a minor in the first degree and tampering with a witness, the charges were lessened as part of a plea agreement, according to Grant County Superior Court records.

Chief Deputy Prosecutor Ed Owens said the reason for the plea bargain was the victim didn’t respond to letters or phone calls for the last month and a half. While he could have sought a material witness warrant, Owens said there was no reason to victimize the girl twice.

“I don’t like arresting victims,” he said. “It’s a darned if I do, darned if I don’t situation … Unfortunately, sometimes our victims don’t want to testify.”

Owens added he thought Garza received a significant punishment considering he wouldn’t be able to teach anymore.

“He went to school for four years to be a teacher. He lost that whole thing. He can’t be a teacher anymore,” he said.

Garza and three other juveniles went to a party with three juveniles in March 2007 while he was in his first year of teaching at Moses Lake High School. At the party, he became drunk, according to a Moses Lake police report.

He left the party with his brother, the 16-year-old victim and another girl, all heading to his house around midnight. While they were there, Garza’s brother and the other girl left the house, according to the police report.

During the time the Garza and the 16-year-old victim were alone, they had sex, according to the police report. After the incident she told friends she was pregnant with Garza’s child.

Police were informed about the incident after one of the victim’s friends turned in a series of notes the victim wrote her about the pregnancy. When police interviewed the girl, she initially denied the claims, then admitting to having sex with Garza. Four days later, she denied it, according to the police report.

On May 8, 2008, the victim gave a statement to police, saying she had sex with Garza. When she was asked why she denied the incident, she stated he told her not to because he would go to prison, during the three or four times they spoke about the incident, according to the police report.

Garza’s contract was not renewed in 2008 by the Moses Lake School District.

Garza’s attorney Salvador Mendoza was not available for comment.