Ethan A. Chase campus supervisor arrested on drug charges

By Doug Spoon, Editor

A campus supervisor at Ethan A. Chase Middle School was recently arrested on a charge of possession of narcotics for sale, Menifee 24/7 has learned.

Andrew Aguilar, 27, was arrested April 19 and booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center, according to jail records. He was one of 15 individuals arrested that week following a year-long investigation in which Riverside County authorities seized millions of dollars worth of illegal drugs from people suspected of working with a Sinaloa, Mexico cartel’s drug trafficking network, the Los Angeles Times reported.

According to a news release from the City of Riverside, Operation “Hotline Bling” recovered large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl that “potentially could produce 10 million lethal doses.” Also seized were 1.4 kilograms of cocaine and seven firearms.

Aguilar was released on bail April 19, the same day he was booked. He faces a June 3 court date in the Riverside Hall of Justice. He also faces a charge of transportation of a controlled substance for sales of methamphetamine. Aguilar was an employee of the Romoland School District, said Madison Arreola, communications coordinator for the district, who added that “the staff member has been placed on administrative leave due to personal circumstances unrelated to their employment with the district.” She had no other comment.

School campus supervisors typically provide security and supervision of students during their time outside class. The Romoland School District did not release any details on Aguilar's duties.

A parent and former district employee who asked not to be identified told Menifee 24/7 that Aguilar showed up for work at Ethan A. Chase on April 22 and was immediately sent home.

“The family and district are trying to keep it quiet, and it makes me furious,” the parent said. “Because that’s what they do, hide and sweep everything under the rug, since his first year there. I complained several times about him coming to work smelling like weed. Other employees have also complained about him … Since he has worked there, these issues/complaints have been brought up to both principals, the past one and the recent one. And as far as I know, he's never been written up.”