NATIONAL CITY, Calif. — A sixth-grade teacher at Lincoln Acres Elementary School in National City was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of having an inappropriate relationship with a former student, education officials said.

The arrest occurred at the Lincoln Acres campus around 8 a.m., National School District Superintendent Leighangela Brady told FOX 5 in a statement.

“The arrest took place on campus but was away from students, as both law enforcement and our site staff collaborated to ensure that student learning and the campus climate were not interrupted. We know that our entire school community is as stunned as we were by this news,” Brady said.

Brady confirmed the student no longer attends the National School District and that officials are unaware of any other victims.

“The district will cooperate with law enforcement and cannot comment any further on the pending investigation. We will continue to do everything possible to keep our students’ safety, needs, and education first and foremost,” Brady said.

Prior to the arrest, a concerned parent contacted the National City Police Department on March 6 to report that she suspected her 13-year-old child was possibly having an inappropriate relationship with a former teacher.

NCPD says detectives and school resource officers immediately began investigating the allegation. On the morning of March 7, officers developed probable cause to arrest the teacher who has now been identified as 34-year-old Jacqueline Ma, police said.

Ma was booked into Las Colinas Women’s Detention Facility on suspicion of two felony charges, including lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14. 

A spokesperson for the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office told FOX 5 Ma has since bailed out of jail and has a return date of March 14. The case will be under review until that time.

NCPD says they will not be releasing any additional information about this case as the victim is a minor and the investigation is ongoing.

FOX 5 spoke with José Antonio, the parent of a fifth grader who goes to Lincoln Acres Elementary School, to get his reaction on the matter.

“My son goes here…I don’t know her, so I can’t say much more. They (the school) sent emails and they said they’re going to take care of the kids and be very cautious about what’s going on.”

Antonio, like many other parents, are shocked upon hearing the news — especially since Ma was named one of San Diego County’s Teachers of the Year for 2022-2023.

FOX 5’s Elizabeth Alvarez contributed to this report.