ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office said on Tuesday that it arrested a bus driver who is accused of attempting to solicit a romantic relationship with a student.
According to deputies, Edward Betancur-Zabala, 36, texted the student days after asking her to fill out a form that required her to give her phone number.
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In his texts, Zabala told the student he was an “admirer” and told her she was beautiful, the agency said.
SJSO said the victim reported the incident to her school’s resource deputy, which led to its deputies with the Internet Crimes Against Children unit assuming her identity to begin texting with Zabala.
During conversations with him, Zabala said he wanted to “get to know” the student, adding that he sees her “notice his looks” and if they were to meet up, they “won’t talk much.”
Deputies added that Zabala also asked if there were cameras in her neighborhood because their meet-up would be “very dangerous [because] someone from the school can see us.” He also said he would “greet [the student] with a kiss.”
After driving to the student’s neighborhood, deputies say Zabala sent a photo of where he was parked, which was followed by deputies immediately placing him into custody.
"The victim in this case is to be commended for immediately notifying her school resource deputy and not engaging in conversations with the suspect. If you have information about crimes committed by Betancur-Zabala or believe you may be a victim, please contact SJSO," the agency said.
News4JAX contacted the St. Johns County School District to confirm if Zabala was an employee and will update this article with their response.