Guilty Martial Arts Teacher: Jorge Alberto Tejada
Age: 41 Co-Owner: Yes Prison: Guilty #? State: California Victim(s): 1 Victim(s) Gender: Girl Victim(s) Age: 15 Martial Arts School Name: Ernie Reyes West Coast Martial Arts Year Guilty: 2017 |
https://www.losaltosonline.com/news/sections/news/200-police-fire/55833-
Martial arts teacher convicted of raping a minor
Published: 09 August 2017
Written by Eliza Ridgeway - Staff Writer/[email protected]
A martial arts teacher who co-founded Hiruko Wellness on Second Street in Los Altos was convicted of rape July 28 and still faces charges of harassing a minor in a separate incident.
Those two incidents, and a third described in testimony during the trial, occurred prior to when Jorge Tejada relocated his studio to downtown Los Altos. He had worked at a studio in Mountain View before launching Hiruko in 2005, which was located at Loyola Corners and in Palo Alto before moving downtown in 2016.
Deputy District Attorney Chris Lamiero said the two charges filed against Tejada were separated for trial, meaning that sentencing for the rape conviction will proceed while separate negotiations regarding the pending misdemeanor case occur.
The rape conviction stems from a crime committed in 1993. A jury found Tejada guilty of forcibly raping his then-15-year-old cousin. That victim spoke to police after learning that Tejada was under investigation for other suspected assaults on teenage girls.
The first assault to bring Tejada to police attention allegedly occurred at the Hiruko studio in Palo Alto. A young woman who had been studying there since she was approximately 11 years old earned a black belt at the studio and became an instructor by the time she was 17. She described a series of “therapeutic” massages Tejada initiated over a period of months in which he touched her genitals inappropriately and lay on top of her. She testified that she initially tried to ignore the behavior and hoped it would stop. But after Tejada allegedly tried to kiss her, backing off only after a struggle, she approached police.
It was the police’s call for information about the case, seeking other possible victims, that inspired Tejada’s relative and another martial arts student to come forward.
The other student to testify started studying with Tejada in the mid-1990s when he taught at Ernie Reyes West Coast Martial Arts in Mountain View. When she was 15, she had a sexual relationship with Tejada that then ended, Lamiero said. She moved away for college, earned a black belt and on returning to the school began working as an instructor. She testified that Tejada cornered her in a room where she was changing, pushed her against a wall and tried to kiss her. She spoke at the trial, as did the other former student, to corroborate the rape victim’s account with their experiences. A prosecutor must prove a propensity to engage in sexually assaultive offenses when trying a crime that occurred two decades ago.
Lamiero said the District Attorney’s Office was not involved in any active pursuit of further victims but noted that the conviction could prompt other people to come forward.
Tejada is scheduled for sentencing Sept. 29. Sentencing guidelines for a forcible rape conviction range from three to eight years in prison.
Martial arts teacher convicted of raping a minor
Published: 09 August 2017
Written by Eliza Ridgeway - Staff Writer/[email protected]
A martial arts teacher who co-founded Hiruko Wellness on Second Street in Los Altos was convicted of rape July 28 and still faces charges of harassing a minor in a separate incident.
Those two incidents, and a third described in testimony during the trial, occurred prior to when Jorge Tejada relocated his studio to downtown Los Altos. He had worked at a studio in Mountain View before launching Hiruko in 2005, which was located at Loyola Corners and in Palo Alto before moving downtown in 2016.
Deputy District Attorney Chris Lamiero said the two charges filed against Tejada were separated for trial, meaning that sentencing for the rape conviction will proceed while separate negotiations regarding the pending misdemeanor case occur.
The rape conviction stems from a crime committed in 1993. A jury found Tejada guilty of forcibly raping his then-15-year-old cousin. That victim spoke to police after learning that Tejada was under investigation for other suspected assaults on teenage girls.
The first assault to bring Tejada to police attention allegedly occurred at the Hiruko studio in Palo Alto. A young woman who had been studying there since she was approximately 11 years old earned a black belt at the studio and became an instructor by the time she was 17. She described a series of “therapeutic” massages Tejada initiated over a period of months in which he touched her genitals inappropriately and lay on top of her. She testified that she initially tried to ignore the behavior and hoped it would stop. But after Tejada allegedly tried to kiss her, backing off only after a struggle, she approached police.
It was the police’s call for information about the case, seeking other possible victims, that inspired Tejada’s relative and another martial arts student to come forward.
The other student to testify started studying with Tejada in the mid-1990s when he taught at Ernie Reyes West Coast Martial Arts in Mountain View. When she was 15, she had a sexual relationship with Tejada that then ended, Lamiero said. She moved away for college, earned a black belt and on returning to the school began working as an instructor. She testified that Tejada cornered her in a room where she was changing, pushed her against a wall and tried to kiss her. She spoke at the trial, as did the other former student, to corroborate the rape victim’s account with their experiences. A prosecutor must prove a propensity to engage in sexually assaultive offenses when trying a crime that occurred two decades ago.
Lamiero said the District Attorney’s Office was not involved in any active pursuit of further victims but noted that the conviction could prompt other people to come forward.
Tejada is scheduled for sentencing Sept. 29. Sentencing guidelines for a forcible rape conviction range from three to eight years in prison.
https://www.mv-voice.com/news/2017/08/01/former-palo-alto-martial-arts-instructor-convicted-of-rape
Uploaded: Tue, Aug 1, 2017, 10:58 am
Former Mountain View martial arts instructor convicted of rape
Co-founder of studio found guilty of 1993 rape of his teenage cousin
by Sue Dremann / Palo Alto Weekly
Martial arts instructor Jorge Tejada, pictured in a 2014 booking photo, was convicted of rape in a separate case on July 28. Photo courtesy of Palo Alto Police Department.
The co-founder of a martial arts studio that was located in Mountain View was convicted of rape on Friday, July 28, a Santa Clara County prosecutor said.
Jorge Alberto Tejada, 41, was found guilty of one count of felony forcible rape for a 1993 attack on his then-15-year-old female cousin, a Santa Clara County Superior Court jury in San Jose found. He faces a minimum of three years and a maximum eight years in state prison and remains in custody without bail, Deputy District Attorney Chris Lamiero said.
Tejada was working at Ernie Reyes West Coast Martial Arts in Mountain View in 1993 when he committed the rape. The business was offering free introductory lessons and his cousin decided to try the classes. After the studio closed, Tejada, who was supposed to give her a ride home, took her into a back room, where he assaulted her, Lamiero said.
She did not tell police about the attack until October 2014. Although the case was reported 21 years after the fact, it moved forward because of a statute-of-limitations extension, Lamiero said. Such extensions are granted when there is violence against a minor and corroboration of similar crimes committed by the defendant.
That corroboration came from two women who testified that Tejada had sexually attacked them at two separate martial arts studios in Palo Alto in 2000 and 2014.
In the 2000 case, the witness -- who previously dated Tejada from when she was 15 years old but was no longer dating him -- was working as an instructor at the Ernie Reyes studio. By then the studio had moved from Grant Avenue in Mountain View to Middlefield Road in Palo Alto.
While she was undressing in a changing room at the studio with the door closed, Tejada entered. The victim told him to get out, but Tejada allegedly shoved her against a wall, pushed against her and kissed her, she testified, according to Lamiero.
A second witness testified that Tejada had allegedly molested her in late 2013 at Hiruko Wellness, a studio he co-owned that was located at 2741 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto. (The studio moved to Second Street in Los Altos in March 2016.)
The witness said that Tejada had been her taekwondo instructor since she was 11 years old. When she was 17 and also a part-time instructor at the studio, he allegedly put his arms around her and held her close while they were alone inside the studio. The witness told police that he took her face in both of his hands and attempted to kiss her. She repeatedly pulled away until Tejada let her go. She reported the incident to police in August 2014.
Palo Alto police arrested Tejada in August 2014 for that incident, and he faces a misdemeanor charge for annoying or molesting a child. The case is still pending, Lamiero said.
Tejada's behavior went well beyond kissing, however, the 2013 witness testified at the rape trial earlier this month. She alleged that Tejada also molested her during therapeutic massages, putting his hand down her pants and up her blouse and rubbing himself against her.
Lamiero said the DA's office decided to file a misdemeanor charge for annoying or molesting a child rather than a more serious felony because prosecutors felt it was provable beyond a reasonable doubt.
Uploaded: Tue, Aug 1, 2017, 10:58 am
Former Mountain View martial arts instructor convicted of rape
Co-founder of studio found guilty of 1993 rape of his teenage cousin
by Sue Dremann / Palo Alto Weekly
Martial arts instructor Jorge Tejada, pictured in a 2014 booking photo, was convicted of rape in a separate case on July 28. Photo courtesy of Palo Alto Police Department.
The co-founder of a martial arts studio that was located in Mountain View was convicted of rape on Friday, July 28, a Santa Clara County prosecutor said.
Jorge Alberto Tejada, 41, was found guilty of one count of felony forcible rape for a 1993 attack on his then-15-year-old female cousin, a Santa Clara County Superior Court jury in San Jose found. He faces a minimum of three years and a maximum eight years in state prison and remains in custody without bail, Deputy District Attorney Chris Lamiero said.
Tejada was working at Ernie Reyes West Coast Martial Arts in Mountain View in 1993 when he committed the rape. The business was offering free introductory lessons and his cousin decided to try the classes. After the studio closed, Tejada, who was supposed to give her a ride home, took her into a back room, where he assaulted her, Lamiero said.
She did not tell police about the attack until October 2014. Although the case was reported 21 years after the fact, it moved forward because of a statute-of-limitations extension, Lamiero said. Such extensions are granted when there is violence against a minor and corroboration of similar crimes committed by the defendant.
That corroboration came from two women who testified that Tejada had sexually attacked them at two separate martial arts studios in Palo Alto in 2000 and 2014.
In the 2000 case, the witness -- who previously dated Tejada from when she was 15 years old but was no longer dating him -- was working as an instructor at the Ernie Reyes studio. By then the studio had moved from Grant Avenue in Mountain View to Middlefield Road in Palo Alto.
While she was undressing in a changing room at the studio with the door closed, Tejada entered. The victim told him to get out, but Tejada allegedly shoved her against a wall, pushed against her and kissed her, she testified, according to Lamiero.
A second witness testified that Tejada had allegedly molested her in late 2013 at Hiruko Wellness, a studio he co-owned that was located at 2741 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto. (The studio moved to Second Street in Los Altos in March 2016.)
The witness said that Tejada had been her taekwondo instructor since she was 11 years old. When she was 17 and also a part-time instructor at the studio, he allegedly put his arms around her and held her close while they were alone inside the studio. The witness told police that he took her face in both of his hands and attempted to kiss her. She repeatedly pulled away until Tejada let her go. She reported the incident to police in August 2014.
Palo Alto police arrested Tejada in August 2014 for that incident, and he faces a misdemeanor charge for annoying or molesting a child. The case is still pending, Lamiero said.
Tejada's behavior went well beyond kissing, however, the 2013 witness testified at the rape trial earlier this month. She alleged that Tejada also molested her during therapeutic massages, putting his hand down her pants and up her blouse and rubbing himself against her.
Lamiero said the DA's office decided to file a misdemeanor charge for annoying or molesting a child rather than a more serious felony because prosecutors felt it was provable beyond a reasonable doubt.
http://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2014/08/18/palo-alto-martial-arts-instructor-arrested-on-molestation-charge
Uploaded: Mon, Aug 18, 2014, 7:41 pm
Palo Alto martial arts instructor arrested for allegedly trying to kiss a minor
DA files misdemeanor charge against co-founder of Hiruko Wellness
by Elena Kadvany / Palo Alto Weekly
Palo Alto police arrested Mountain View resident Jorge Alberto Tejada, 39, on a misdemeanor charge of annoying or molesting a child on Thursday, Aug. 14. Photo courtesy Palo Alto Police Department.
Police have arrested an instructor from a martial arts studio on Middlefield Road in Palo Alto for allegedly attempting to kiss a longtime student and part-time employee when she was 17 years old. Police are now releasing the information to find out if additional victims exist, though they are currently unaware of any other victims, according to a department press release.
Mountain View resident Jorge Alberto Tejada, 39, self-surrendered to the Santa Clara County Main Jail on a misdemeanor charge of annoying or molesting a child on the morning of Thursday, Aug. 14. He had been an instructor at Hiruko Wellness at 2741 Middlefield Road and taught the victim taekwondo since she was 11 years old, police said. According to the studio's website, he co-founded the center with Executive Director Natalia Gabrea Tejada.
Police learned of the alleged incident this May, when the victim – who is now an adult – called police to report what had happened. She told officers that she had been taking classes from Tejada for years and had also become a part-time employee at Hiruko Wellness. In late 2013, when she was 17, she told police that Tejada put his arms around her and held her close to him while they were alone inside the studio. He then took her face in both of his hands and attempted to kiss her, police said. She repeatedly pulled away until he let her go.
After investigating the incident, police presented the case to the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office, who filed the misdemeanor charge. Police obtained a warrant for Tejada's arrest on Aug. 4; he self-surrendered 10 days later.
Police encourage anyone with information to come forward by contacting the department's 24-hour dispatch center at 650-329-2413. Anonymous tips can be e-mailed to [email protected] or sent via text message or voice mail to 650-383-8984. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the police department's free mobile app, downloadable at bit.ly/PAPD-AppStore or it.ly/PAPD-GooglePlay.
Uploaded: Mon, Aug 18, 2014, 7:41 pm
Palo Alto martial arts instructor arrested for allegedly trying to kiss a minor
DA files misdemeanor charge against co-founder of Hiruko Wellness
by Elena Kadvany / Palo Alto Weekly
Palo Alto police arrested Mountain View resident Jorge Alberto Tejada, 39, on a misdemeanor charge of annoying or molesting a child on Thursday, Aug. 14. Photo courtesy Palo Alto Police Department.
Police have arrested an instructor from a martial arts studio on Middlefield Road in Palo Alto for allegedly attempting to kiss a longtime student and part-time employee when she was 17 years old. Police are now releasing the information to find out if additional victims exist, though they are currently unaware of any other victims, according to a department press release.
Mountain View resident Jorge Alberto Tejada, 39, self-surrendered to the Santa Clara County Main Jail on a misdemeanor charge of annoying or molesting a child on the morning of Thursday, Aug. 14. He had been an instructor at Hiruko Wellness at 2741 Middlefield Road and taught the victim taekwondo since she was 11 years old, police said. According to the studio's website, he co-founded the center with Executive Director Natalia Gabrea Tejada.
Police learned of the alleged incident this May, when the victim – who is now an adult – called police to report what had happened. She told officers that she had been taking classes from Tejada for years and had also become a part-time employee at Hiruko Wellness. In late 2013, when she was 17, she told police that Tejada put his arms around her and held her close to him while they were alone inside the studio. He then took her face in both of his hands and attempted to kiss her, police said. She repeatedly pulled away until he let her go.
After investigating the incident, police presented the case to the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office, who filed the misdemeanor charge. Police obtained a warrant for Tejada's arrest on Aug. 4; he self-surrendered 10 days later.
Police encourage anyone with information to come forward by contacting the department's 24-hour dispatch center at 650-329-2413. Anonymous tips can be e-mailed to [email protected] or sent via text message or voice mail to 650-383-8984. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the police department's free mobile app, downloadable at bit.ly/PAPD-AppStore or it.ly/PAPD-GooglePlay.