Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah announced on Monday, Jan. 24, that former Salesian High School teacher, Mariela Barajas, was arraigned for allegedly disseminating indecent material to a 15-year-old.

 

Barajas, 22, of Mount Vernon, was charged on Jan. 24, in Mount Vernon City Court with disseminating indecent material to minors in the first degree, a felony. The Westchester County District Attorney’s Office made the arrest following an investigation, with assistance from the Mount Vernon Police Department and New Rochelle Police Department.

 

While employed at the New Rochelle school, in December 2021 and January 2022, Barajas allegedly engaged in a series of sexually explicit conversations with the male victim on Instagram and Snapchat. During the conversations, she allegedly sent the victim naked videos of herself engaged in sexual acts.

 

 

The case is being prosecuted jointly by the trials and investigations division cyber crimes bureau and the special prosecutions division child abuse bureau. Anyone who has been a victim or who has further information on this case is asked to contact the Westchester District Attorney’s Office at (914) 995-TIPS.

 

A person accused of a crime is innocent unless and until convicted in a court of law. The case is ongoing and Barajas is scheduled to appear again in Mount Vernon City Court on Feb. 14.

 

Norwood News has reached out to Salesian High School, a private high school for boys, for comment on the case. A representative provided us with a letter sent to alumni and friends of the school, which referred to a separate letter dated Jan. 24, sent to parents of students of the school in response to the incident.

 

It is signed by the principal, director and president of the school and reads, in part, “Of central concern, as always, remains the safety and well being of the young men in our care.” It goes on to say that following the receipt of an accusation of inappropriate conduct and a brief investigation, the school terminated a teacher’s contract and contacted the police as well as the Office for Child Protective Services.

 

School officials said they were unable to comment further on the matter, except to say that they fully supported the investigation into the incident, were cooperating with the relevant authorities, and believed it to be an isolated incident. They also encouraged anyone with information to contact the authorities.

 

 

There is no reference to Barajas on the school’s website. A statement on the website reads, “Salesian High School is proud to be a part of the Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of New York.”

 

Norwood News previously reported on the fall out following the decision on July 9, 2020 by the Archdiocese of New York to close 20 Catholic schools, including six in the Bronx, due to lack of finances amid the COVID-19 pandemic.