Crime and Courts

Ex-Encinitas middle-school staffer pleads guilty to sex charges

Omar Hernandez Galeana, 22, is slated to be sentenced in June to a stipulated 28-year state prison term following his guilty pleas entered Tuesday.

Omar Galeana in court
NBC 7

A former campus supervisor at Diegueno Middle School in Encinitas who was arrested last year on suspicion of molesting a 12-year-old student pleaded guilty to sex-related charges this week.

Omar Hernandez Galeana, 22, is slated to be sentenced in June to a stipulated 28-year state prison term following his guilty pleas entered Tuesday. He remains in custody without bail, pending his June 4 sentencing date.

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Omar Hernandez Galeana made his first court appearance on Wednesday. He faces a total of 12 counts involving two minors. NBC 7's Dave Summers reports on March 27, 2024.

Prosecutors alleged Galeana molested the girl and had been communicating with her and other students in an overly familiar fashion, including asking the students to delete their text message conversations with him because he could get in trouble.

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A lawsuit was later filed in San Diego Superior Court against Galeana and the San Dieguito Union High School District on behalf of the lead victim in the case.

Attorneys representing the girl say district officials missed "red flags" regarding Galeana's behavior toward her and other students. He frequently drove the girl and other students in his car, regularly communicated with students over text messages and social media applications, and often spent time alone with students in secluded areas of the campus, the lawsuit claims.

The man who recently got a job at Diegueno Middle School is facing charges related to sexual assault of a 12 year-old student. NBC 7's Kelvin Henry is in Encinitas with the developing story.

The complaint alleged that allowing Galeana to have "solitary and unfettered access to children" provided him the opportunity to sexually abuse the girl both on and off campus.

School district officials said at the time that the district "took immediate action to remove him from employment and work cooperatively with law enforcement" once they learned of the allegations.

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