A high school Spanish teacher who fatally stabbed his lover, a former class aide, was sentenced to 26 years to life in prison Wednesday by a judge who chided Long Beach school officials for hiring him despite his conviction for beating a previous girlfriend. During the trial, Tepoz-Leon pleaded not guilty but admitted having stabbed Lopez, alleging that she had stabbed him first during a heated argument.
Deputy Dist. The credentialing commission has said that a misdemeanor conviction would not preclude the issuing of a certificate but would not elaborate. They became involved in late In July , a teacher and a friend of Lopez took her to the Long Beach police after she told them that Tepoz-Leon had beaten her on the head. Police took photographs, but, Klein said, the girl would not identify her attacker nor press charges. Tepoz-Leon fled but later was arrested. At the time of his arrest, he sought police help for superficial throat wounds.
Klein said testimony by an expert suggested that the wounds, for which Leon blamed Lopez, probably had been self-inflicted. About two years after that incident, after serving 90 days in jail, Tepoz-Leon applied to the district. The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
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