Suspect arrested in classroom sex assault of teacher

San Jose police arrested a man suspected of robbing and sexually assaulting a female teacher inside a middle school classroom Tuesday morning, police Chief Eddie Garcia said Friday.

Andrew Bracamonte, 23, of San Jose was arrested Thursday at about 7:55 p.m. in San Francisco.

Garcia said:

“We know we have our man for this case.”

At about 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Bracamonte allegedly walked into a classroom at Harker Middle School at 3800 Blackford Ave., where the victim was alone. He then locked the door, turned off the lights, sexually assaulted the victim and stole some personal items from her, according to Garcia.

Bracamonte threatened to shoot the victim if she did not stay in the classroom, but the victim did not see a weapon.

Garcia said officers discovered school video surveillance footage of the suspect before and after the alleged assault. Additionally, officers also found the victim’s cellphone and the suspect’s beanie in a field near the school.

A K-9 then tracked the scent to a nearby neighborhood and police found that Bracamonte lives about a half a mile from the school.

Bracamonte was also allegedly involved in another recent crime at a liquor store in Santa Clara. Officers found surveillance video from the liquor store showing a person similar to Bracamonte, according to Garcia.

Thursday, police obtained a warrant for Bracamonte’s arrest and they also received a call from someone saying Bracamonte wanted to surrender.

Police said the caller told them Bracamonte wanted to wait until Friday at 10 a.m. but police said investigators weren’t going to allow Bracamonte dictate how they took him into custody.

Bracamonte allegedly left home Thursday and someone drove him to San Francisco where San Jose police arrested him. Garcia said Bracamonte tried to alter his appearance by cutting his hair.

Bracamonte was booked into Santa Clara County’s Main Jail on suspicion of robbery, false imprisonment, making criminal threats, forced oral copulation and assault with intent to commit sexual assault during the commission of a burglary. He’s being held on $500,000 bail, according to jail records.

He was not on parole or probation and is not a registered sex offender.

Bracamonte is set to appear in court Tuesday, according to jail records.

Anyone with more information about the case is asked to call Detective Sgt. Samantha Huynh or Detective Jennifer Majors of the Police Department’s sexual assault investigations unit at (408) 277-4102.

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