Students leave at the end of the school day at Granite Park Junior High in South Salt Lake on Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021. (Spenser Heaps/Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — Police arrested a staff worker at Granite Park Junior High School in South Salt Lake on suspicion of unlawful sexual activity with a 14-year-old male student.
A police officer with the Granite School District said the victim reported the four alleged sexual acts with the suspect, Kimberly Cruz-Romero, 29. The officer also reported that law enforcement had located photos and video of the sexual acts that took place in November and December.
Police arrested Cruz-Romero on Tuesday and took her to the Salt Lake County Jail.
“It was reported Kimberly [Cruz-Romero] became pregnant with the victim’s child. I located a text message that supports that allegation from Kimberly’s registered phone number to the victim’s phone,” the officer wrote in an affidavit.
“Kimberly has ties to Mexico and has frequented there recently. I believe Kimberly may be a flight risk should she be released from custody. When Kimberly was being taken into custody, she informed me she had recently had surgery for a miscarriage. The procedure is believed to have taken place about a week ago in Mexico.”
When the victim sought to end his relationship with the suspect, the officer wrote, a member of a gang allegedly threatened him. Police allege that the threat came from a member of a gang the suspect is allegedly a member of.
Granite School District spokesman Ben Horsley said the district terminated Cruz-Romero from her position as an attendance tracker.
“Student safety is our primary concern, and we take these charges very seriously. There is currently no indication from Granite Police that any other students were involved,” Horsley said.