YISD Elementary School Aid Accused Of Inappropriately Touching Students

A physical education aide in a Lower Valley elementary school is facing two charges of indecency with a child after allegedly fondling the genitals of two boys on different occasions.

Alfonso Cedillo, 39, was arrested by the El Paso Police Department at about 3:15 am Friday. Records show he posted $50,000 bond about two hours later.

“I don’t know what to say, I have to speak with the principal,” said Yolanda Lepasti, a South Loop mom with three kids in the school.

Lepasti was stunned when ABC-7 told her about the school employee’s arrest. Her second-grade son Alex said he knows Cedillo.

“(Cedillo) taught us football. He was always nice to me,” said Alex Lepasti.

According to complaint affidavits filed Thursday, two South Loop victims are accusing Cedillo.

The first is a 10-year-old boy who told police about an incident that allegedly happened two to three weeks ago. According to the affidavit, the victim was being teased by classmates about wetting the bed. The victim then went outside and was allegedly approached by Cedillo. The affidavit said Cedillo told the boy to go with him into his office, locked the door, then began massaging the boy’s backside.

The affidavit goes on to say Cedillo forced the 10-year-old to drop his shorts and boxers. Cedillo then allegedly began rubbing the child’s genitals for approximately five minutes. The victim told police Cedillo looked happy during the incident and that Cedillo allegedly told the boy, “Ok, we are out of time. Go back outside, but don’t tell anybody about this.”

An 11-year-old boy told police Cedillo approached him one day over the past few weeks and criticized the boy’s basketball shooting technique. Cedillo allegedly took the boy into his office and fondled the victim’s genitals over his clothing.

“Our kids are (in that school,) we have to make sure they’re safe,” said Yolanda Lepasti.

A spokeswoman for the Ysleta Independent School District released the following statement this morning:

“YISD is committed to assuring the safety and well-being of all students and takes all necessary steps to protect our children. YISD administration was notified of a student’s outcry yesterday at about 11 am. YISD officials reported the outcry to the El Paso Police Department (EPPD). A Physical Education Aide from South Loop Elementary School was placed on administrative leave at around 11:30 am yesterday, pending investigation by EPPD and YISD. The employee was arrested by the EPPD last night.

The employee has been with the district since 2005 and served as a P.E. Aide since 2008 at South Loop.”

District officials said parents would receive a letter on Monday notifying them about Cedillo’s arrest.