Former Pittsburg, California mayor Marcelino Vasquez — a convicted sex offender — was arrested outside a school last week for the third time in five months.
Pittsburg police Capt. Ron Raman stated that Vasquez was arrested near Marina Vista Elementary last week, according to the Contra Costa Times.
Vasquez was a rising political figure until 1972 ,when he was convicted for lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 years of age. The Times reports that Vasquez served on the Pittsburg City Council and “took a turn as mayor” in the 1960s. After being caught for child molestation, his political career crashed.
The California sex offender database lists the date of last conviction for Vasquez as 1972; he was released in 1973. He is listed as a transient.
The former political figure has been charged repeatedly for violations related to his sex offender status, according to the Times. Charges include failing to register as a sex offender yearly with local law enforcement. Authorities indicated that he has been living in the East Contra Costa area and frequents a church near the school. However local school district officials say Vasquez has not actually come into contact with children during these occasions.
Vasquez was convicted for failing to register as a sex offender in 2013 and 2014. The Times stated that he received a 90-day sentence for each conviction. For the 2014 conviction, he also received probation, which ended in May 2015.
Court records referenced in the Times report show that Vasquez also had three drug-related convictions in the 1990s.
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