State Police have opened an investigation into former Española police detective Moises Peña amidst allegations that he had sex with an underage Mesa Vista High School student last year while a basketball coach at Ojo Caliente Elementary, State Police Agent Joey Gallegos confirmed.
Mesa Vista School District Superintendent Randy Earwood said the District conducted its own investigation in December, then handed the case over to State Police Jan. 5. Earwood refused to go into detail about the nature of the District’s investigation.
“There was an allegation that came to the surface, so the District conducted an investigation,” Earwood said. “Anytime there’s an allegation within the realm of what we’re talking about there is going to be a report being filed, either with the (state Children, Youth and Families Department) or a police report.”
Officer Jessie Whittaker, who is handling the case, said he has not yet completed his investigation and no charges have been filed.
But Gallegos questioned why either the Department or State Police were not notified immediately.
“By state law, it should have been handed over immediately being that Moises Peña was in a position of authority,” Gallegos said.
Peña resigned his coaching position Dec. 14 citing “personal reasons” but insists the allegations were based solely on unfounded rumors. Peña said Earwood received an anonymous phone call in early December accusing him of carrying on a relationship with a 17-year-old female high school student.
“All I know is there was an investigation done by the superintendent, and he said it was unfounded and there was no factual basis to anything,” Peña said.
Peña, who had been receiving a $500 stipend for coaching, said Earwood asked him to resign anyway to help the District save face.
Peña said he had a theory about how the rumors started but refused to elaborate.
Peña also said District Director of Instruction Lillian Griego told him any time there is this type of accusation, even from an anonymous source, the District is required to investigate.
But during the District’s investigation, Griego herself became wrapped up in the case. State Police Capt. Daniel Lovato said officers went to Griego’s Ojo Caliente residence on or around Dec. 11 to investigate what Griego reported as someone having fired shots at her house.
Police asked Griego if she had gotten into any arguments or knew of anyone who might be upset with her, Lovato said.
“She said the only thing recently was she had to take disciplinary action with Moises (Peña),” Lovato said.
The officers interviewed and eventually cleared Peña in that investigation, Lovato said.
Peña said he currently works as a security guard at the Ojo Caliente Hot Springs. He left the Española Police Department in 2007 to take a job at the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department. He was fired in February 2009 from the latter department for undisclosed reasons, County documents state.