Former Mendota principal held to answer on allegations he inappropriately touched multiple students

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- For the first time, three of the young women who accused their second-grade teacher of touching them inappropriately testified in front of a Fresno County judge.

Richard Garcia was the principal of McCabe Elementary School in Mendota in 2018 when he was arrested and charged with four counts of continuous sexual abuse.

Wednesday a judge determined there is enough evidence for the case to go to trial.

Richard Garcia sat next to his attorney, occasionally taking notes, as three young women and an officer testified.

We were not allowed to show Garcia's face in court.

Mendota Police Officer Matt Kawana helped investigate the allegations and quickly pointed out Garcia in the courtroom.

All the alleged crimes happened on campus, during school hours while he taught second grade at Washington Elementary.

One of the young women testified Garcia wrapped his arm around her while he helped her with school work and his hand would go to her private parts.

A second young woman testified the same thing happened to her, but it also happened while she was sitting at her desk.

She said Garcia would kneel down beside her and put his hand on her private parts.

The third claimed Garcia would wrap his arm around her, but only touched her thigh.

During the investigation, the girls told police they hadn't talked to each other about it, but one of them said she saw him do it to other girls too.

Despite the descriptions, legal analyst Tony Capozzi says the defense could raise questions because it happened so long ago.

"What's their credibility? They were 10 years old. How can they remember all those things?" Capozzi said.

The defense did question whether the one student was able to actually see it happening to others because of the desks over their laps.

He also asked about a previous sexual assault she experienced.

Capozzi says those are all valid questions for the defense to ask.

"Is she now doing this to a principal, upset with him because she might have thought this was some kind of abuse?" Capozzi said.

However, Capozzi points out that in preliminary hearings, the prosecution doesn't have to convince the judge that these things happened beyond a reasonable doubt.

"All it is, is probable cause. All they have to do is tip the scale a little bit that there's probable cause to believe that this happened." Capozzi said.

The judge ruled Garcia is held to answer on all four counts of continuous sexual abuse of a child.

He's due back in court on June 6, 2023.

If convicted on all charges, he faces 64 years to life in prison.

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