A former coach at Tucson High School was arrested Saturday night after deputies say they found him partially nude in a van with a 15-year-old student.
Richard Ortiz, 53, was found with the girl about 11:40 p.m. by deputies who went to check on a report of a suspicious vehicle parked in the 6600 block of South Gila Avenue, on the southwest side near West Valencia Road and South Camino De La Tierra, Deputy Thomas Peine said in a news release.
"The initial investigation on scene confirmed the obvious suspicion that Ortiz was involved in sexual activity with the juvenile victim," Peine said in the release.
Ortiz had been a coach until January, when he was named a campus monitor liaison at the school. He is employed by the district during the school year but not during the summer.
The girl is a student at the school, and Ortiz has maintained contact with the girl since March, Peine said. On Saturday, Ortiz took the girl to help set up for a special event, Peine said.
Hotel on the rise at Tucson’s Uptown project
