NATIONAL CITY, Calif. — A National City teacher suspected of having an inappropriate relationship with a former student was re-arrested Thursday, two days after bailing out of jail, authorities said.
Jacqueline Ma, a 34-year-old sixth-grade teacher at Lincoln Acres Elementary School, posted bail Tuesday night and was released from Las Colinas Detention Facility.
Since that time, detectives “developed probable cause to re-arrest Jacqueline Ma on additional felony charges,” National City police stated in a news release Thursday.
Ma was booked Thursday into Las Colinas Detention Facility on suspicion of an additional 14 counts including two lewd and lascivious acts with a minor, seven counts of possession of child pornography, four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of prevention and dissuading of a witness, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department’s jail log.
Ma, who was named a San Diego County “Teacher of the Year” in August, was re-arrested in the 3300 block of National Avenue in San Diego after detectives conducted a surveillance operation, police said.
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department jail log shows that Ma is currently in medical isolation.
Ma was initially arrested Tuesday after a parent suspicious that her 13-year-old child was possibly having an inappropriate relationship with a former teacher contacted authorities, police said. Ma was booked into jail on suspicion of six felony counts, including lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 and oral copulation, jail records showed.
“We are committed to cooperating with our law enforcement,” Superintendent Leighangela Brady said Wednesday during a National School District board meeting. “We do remain cognizant that we cannot comment on the pending investigation, so will continue to work to make sure that our schools run smoothly.”
Ma was originally due back in court March 14 for those initial charges, but for the latest charges, her arraignment looks to be scheduled for March 13.
FOX 5’s Christy Simeral contributed to this story.