Mar Vista High School NJROTC Instructor Arrested

A high school Navy Junior ROTC instructor has been arrested and faces charges of having sex with a female student, San Diego County Sheriff’s Detectives confirmed Monday. 

Martin Albert Gallegos, 48, worked as an instructor with the Mar Vista High School Navy Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (NJROTC) program. 

On Saturday, Gallegos was arrested and booked into San Diego Central Jail on five counts of sexual conduct with a minor, deputies said. 

Investigators said the relationship, which had allegedly been going on for months, appeared to be consensual and did not include intercourse.

A Sheriff’s School Resource Officer received a tip Friday that a teacher at the high school was in a relationship with a female student. That information led deputies to Gallegos. 

Gallegos has since posted bail and is scheduled to appear in court on April 19. 

District officials said it appears he only taught NJROTC and had contact with roughly 200 students.

They said they're surprised at the allegations considering Gallegos passed all the background checks.

Several NJROTC students who spoke to NBC 7 called Gallegos caring and compassionate.

District officials said Gallegos is a first-year substitute in the district who was fired immediately.

“This teacher was a sub teacher. We can take immediate action to remove that person from our system. That person will no longer be employed by our district as of today," Manny Rubio of Sweetwater Union High School District said. 

An online court records search didn’t show any criminal history.

Anyone with information can call San Diego County Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

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