PRESS RELEASE

 

Date/Time:     February 23, 2022 / 5:20 PM

Incident:        

• PC 243.4/243.2 – Sexual Battery/ Sexual Battery on School Grounds
• PC 273a (a) – Child Abuse Under Circumstances or Conditions Likely to Cause Great Bodily Injury or Death
• PC 11166 – Failure of a Mandated Reporter to Report Child Abuse or Neglect

Location:        2630 N. Linden Ave, Rialto CA 92377 (Carter High School)
Suspect #1:     17-year-old Juvenile
Suspect #2:     Assistant Vice Principal David Yang (38), Resident of Chino, CA
Suspect #3:     Assistant Vice Principal Natasha Harris (37), Resident of Perris, CA
Case Number: 932201826
Synopsis:
  On Wednesday, February 16, 2022, at approximately 6:30 PM, the Rialto Police Department was notified of a sexual battery that occurred at Carter High School.  The initial report to police was that a 15-year-old female student had been sexually assaulted by a 17-year-old male student several times over the past three months.  When detectives investigated the allegations they learned there were two additional female students, ages 15 and 16, who were sexually assaulted by the same suspect. Although one of the victims first reported the assaults to school officials in September 2021, no notification was made to the Rialto Police Department until February 16th.
 
As soon as the Rialto Police Department was notified of the incidents, a criminal investigation was initiated and is still ongoing. The reason for the delay in reporting from school officials to the police department is also under investigation.  Detectives contacted the juvenile suspect who was issued a citation and released into the custody of his parents pending criminal charges being filed.  In addition, criminal charges have been recommended to the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office for review regarding the failure of two school officials to report the incident in accordance with California State mandated reporting laws.       Rialto Police Detectives assigned to the investigation learned that a victim reported the sexual assault to Assistant Vice Principal David Yang and Assistant Vice Principal Natasha Harris in November of 2021.  A second victim was also found to have reported a sexual assault by the same male student in September of 2021, which Harris and Yang also did not report to law enforcement.  A third victim came forward in February who had not previously reported sexual assault to school officials.  As mandated reporters, both Harris and Yang are required by California State Law to immediately alert law enforcement of child abuse or neglect.
 
On Wednesday, February 23, 2022, at 12:55 PM, detectives from the Rialto Police Department contacted Yang and Harris at Carter High School.  Both Yang and Harris were taken into custody without incident and subsequently booked into the West Valley Detention Center with a bail set for $150,000. 
 
The Rialto Police Department requests that anyone who may have information related to this incident please contact Lieutenant James Mills at (909) 820-2632. Witnesses can also anonymously report information through WeTip at (800) 782-7463.
 
Officer Amanda Deleon
(909) 440-4071
[email protected]