South Valley charter school director accused of threatening student will be released from custody
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – An Albuquerque charter school director accused of holding a box cutter to a student’s neck in April will be released from custody.
Richard Perea, 58, appeared in court for a pretrial detention hearing on Thursday for the charges of aggravated battery (deadly weapon), aggravated assault, and child abuse (open count).
According to the criminal complaint, Perea, who is the executive director of South Valley Academy, allegedly had the 17-year-old student brought to his office on suspicion that the student was vaping in the bathroom. When the student was searched, school officials found the box cutter in the student’s possession, the criminal complaint read. The student then claimed that Perea wrapped his arm around his neck, and held the box cutter to his throat.
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Two security guards were in the room at the time of the incident and backed up the student’s claim, according to the court document. During the pretrial detention hearing, Perea’s attorney, Jason Bowles, claimed that the allegations in the criminal complaint are not true.
Bowles also read several letters of support for Perea from his colleagues and a student at South Valley Academy.
Judge Brett Loveless denied the state’s request for Perea to remain in custody. “As a condition of release in this particular case, he’s not to work at a school. So not just this one, but any school, and he’s not to have contact with children unless their his own children or grandchildren,” Loveless said.
Perea is on paid administrative leave from the charter school and turned himself into deputies on Monday. The New Mexico Public Education Department said that it is investigating.
