Rockville Paraeducator Charged with Child Neglect: Police

ROCKVILLE, MD — One Montgomery County Public Schools paraeducator was arrested Wednesday in Gaithersburg and charged with two counts of neglect of a minor after he allegedly failed to supervise and report missing two juveniles who were in his care at Rock Terrace High School in Rockville.

Alfredo Lopez, 59, was arrested on a warrant Wednesday at his home in the 7800 block of Mineral Springs Drive in Gaithersburg. According to a statement from police, Lopez was working at the public school when two students with autism and an intellectual and developmental disability separately walked away from the school while under the suspect's watch.

The first student, a 16-year-old, was reported missing around 12:50 p.m. on Monday. During an investigation, police learned that the student had left the school on foot around 9:52 that morning. Police allege Lopez made no attempt to inform police or school administrators that the student had left.

That same afternoon, at approximately 1:51 p.m., a Montgomery County Public Schools bus driver saw the missing student walking northbound on Ridge Road at Sweepstakes Drive in Damascus. The student was returned to his home.

Around 3 p.m., 1st District officers and Rockville City Police officers again responded to the Rock Terrace High School for the report of a missing non-verbal 16-year-old male student with Autism/IDD. During an investigation, officers determined that Lopez was also responsible for supervising this student. Police said Lopez had lost sight of the student and did not immediately follow established protocol to report the student as missing to administrative staff.

A review of school surveillance video showed the student exit the school through the front door at approximately 2:53 p.m., police said. K-9 officers and officers from the 1st, 4th, and 6th Districts immediately began searching for the missing student.

At approximately 6:11 p.m., MCP was notified by family members that the student was located at home in the Glenmont area. Officers determined that the student had walked approximately six miles in inclement weather from the school to his home.

Both students were safe and unharmed.

On Tuesday, September 25, officers obtained an arrest warrant for Lopez charging him with two counts of neglect of minor. On Wednesday, September 26, Lopez was arrested at his home. After being charged, he was later released on his own recognizance.

Image via Montgomery County Police