Teacher Gabriela Cortez/ Photo from @GigiGraciette/ Twitter

Police arrested a female Roosevelt High School teacher Wednesday after two students came forward revealing they had a sexual relationship with her, reports the Associated Press.

Last week, an 18-year-old male told police he had sex with Gabriela Cortez, 42, while he was a student in her Spanish class at Roosevelt. Another alleged victim came forward during the investigation and said he also had sex with the teacher as a teenager in her Montebello home. Both students are now adults, reports KNBC News.

Cortez, was booked into the Montebello City Jail on suspicion of two felony counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. She was released on $140,000 bail and is scheduled to appear before a court on March 22.

My background: I was born in Mexico and raised in Boyle Heights, where I got my start in journalism by launching a community blog. Most recently, I worked at the Los Angeles Times and have spent most of my career covering local news in LA, with a focus on community-centered stories, Latino communities and mentoring emerging writers.

What I do: I lead coverage of Boyle Heights and East LA across all platforms to inform, connect and uplift our community. I spend my days listening, planning, editing and coordinating to make sure our stories reflect the community fairly, while supporting and mentoring my team of reporters and freelancers so they can grow along the way.

Why LA?: It’s home. It’s the sounds of Spanglish and other languages, the smell of tacos and kimchi, the way street art tells stories and how, even though I hate traffic, I love how the freeways can take me to the beach or the mountains on a whim.

The best way to contact me: My email is jessica.perez@boyleheightsbeat.org.

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