RIVERSIDE: Teacher arrested after alleged inappropriate relationship with female student

RIVERSIDE – Police officials confirmed the arrest of a former Riverside area teacher, who was accused of being involved in an inappropriate, months-long relationship with a student at Encore High School for the Arts in Riverside. According to the school’s website, the Riverside campus is located at 3800 Main Street in Riverside.

The teacher, whom officials identified as Camryn Raelynn Zelinger, 32, of Corona, was arrested Monday, Feb. 6, after an investigation by the Riverside Police Department’s Sexual Assault – Child Abuse Unit.

The former teacher was arrested at the school’s Riverside campus, according to police officials and school administrators.

After authorities arrested Zelinger, she was booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside for lewd and lascivious acts with a minor who is 14 or 15 years old and annoying or molesting a child.

An online jail records search revealed Zelinger was released from jail the morning after her arrest after she posted $50,000 bond. Zelinger is scheduled to be arraigned at the Riverside Hall of Justice April 11.

The investigation began after a female student, who has not been identified due to her age, recently disclosed to officers that she and Zelinger had been involved in an “inappropriate relationship” that spanned “the past few months,” a police official explained in a press release about the investigation and arrest.

According to officials, during their investigation detectives determined there had been, “Inappropriate physical contact and communications between the teacher and student.”

Based on those allegations, as well as other corroborating evidence, Riverside police detectives arrested Zelinger.

According to police officials, the school has “fully cooperated with the investigation.”

In a post on social media, which made no mention of Zelinger’s identity or arrest, school administrators explained to parents, faculty, and students, “The Riverside Police Department came to Encore High School’s Riverside campus to question one of our teachers. This teacher was taken to the police department for questioning.”

Administrators explained basic information about the alleged incident; however, they said they had “very little information about this investigation,” before abruptly announcing, “This teacher is no longer employed by Encore.”

The release also explained that the school’s counseling department had set up team counseling services for those students who needed them.

“This team will be in place throughout the week and as long as students need,” administrators explained.

School administrators directed those wanting more information to Riverside PD’s press release about the investigation.

Encore High School for the Arts has two campuses, including one in Riverside and another in Hesperia. Both campuses are accredited through the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. The first campus opened in 2008. Students at the Jr. and Sr. high schools range from grades 7-12.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is encouraged to contact Detective J. Adcox at (951) 353-7121 or [email protected], or Detective E. Bercian at (951) 353-7950 or [email protected].

 

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg in an off-duty accident.

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including the Robert Presley Detention Center, the Southwest Station in Temecula, the Hemet Station, and the Lake Elsinore Station, along with many other locations.