Middle School Teacher Held on Suspicion of Molestations

Thomas Arthur Beltran, 60, a teacher at Lincoln Middle School in Santa Monica has been arrested on suspicion of molesting four of his female students. Police said they believe some of the alleged abuse occurred during school hours, and in at least one case continued for more than a year.

Santa Monica Police Lt. Dan Salerno said that the parents of a 12-year-old students brought her to police headquarters on Friday, where she told officers Beltran had molested her.

Beltran was taken into custody Saturday and jailed in lieu of $1.1 million in bail, police said. He has yet to be charged by the district attorney’s office.