L.A. assistant principal arrested on kidnapping, sex assault charges
Steven Thomas Rooney, who works at Edwin Markham Middle School, allegedly attacked a 13-year-old girl. He is being held on $1-million bail.
A Los Angeles middle school administrator was arrested today on suspicion of kidnapping and two counts of sexually assaulting a student, police said.
Steven Thomas Rooney, the assistant principal at Edwin Markham Middle School, was taken into custody by Los Angeles police after the reported attack, which did not occur at the school, located on East 104th Street in South L.A. The incident is alleged to have occurred Saturday and involved a 13-year-old girl.
"It does involve a student at the school," LAPD Capt. Fabian E. Lizarraga said. "It is still an ongoing investigation, and we are still continuing to investigate."
The 39-year-old administrator is being held at the Parker Center Jail downtown in lieu of $1-million bail.
Rooney was hired in 2000 as a teacher at Foshay Learning Center and later was an assistant principal at John C. Fremont High School.
andrew.blankstein@latimes.com
richard.winton@latimes.com
Times staff writer Howard Blume contributed to this report.
