Maria Luisa Espino
Police arrested a Mercedes teacher Wednesday for allegedly injuring a child with a disability.
Maria Luisa Espino, a 48-year-old Weslaco resident, was booked in the Hidalgo County Jail and released the same day on a $5,000 bond.
In a news release, the Mercedes Police Department said it had received a report about a child with a disability having “injuries at Mercedes High School.” Mercedes police went on to say that investigators retrieved evidence and an arrest warrant for Espino.
Municipal Judge Juan Alvarez arraigned Espino, whose LinkedIn describes her as a life skills teacher who’s been with the district for over 20 years.
Mercedes ISD addressed the arrest in a statement.
“The safety and security of Mercedes ISD students and staff is the District’s top priority,” it reads. “All matters dealing with students and personnel at Mercedes ISD are taken seriously, with respect to privacy, and addressed in accordance with law and policies. Mercedes Police Department are currently investigating the incident, due to the sensitivity of this investigation, the district cannot comment on the current allegations against a school employee.”
The school district has not revealed the teacher’s employment status.
Just last week, the Mercedes ISD school board declined engaging a law firm for special education counsel.
Two trustees at that meeting indicated the discussion was prompted by a specific incident, although they didn’t specify what that incident was.
