Santa Rosa judge still on the bench after being accused of touching minor

Jul. 23—A probate judge in Santa Rosa has been accused of having sexual contact with a minor while working as a substitute teacher at Santa Rosa High School.

Marcos Salas — who was elected Guadalupe County Probate Judge in 2022 — remained on the bench as of Tuesday after being arrested late last week on a charge of sexual contact with a 16-year-old boy.

Salas, 79, faces a third-degree felony count of criminal sexual contact with a minor, according to a criminal complaint filed Friday in Guadalupe County Magistrate Court.

Salas did not return phone calls Tuesday seeking comment on the allegations.

The judge was arrested Thursday and released the next day from Guadalupe County jail, according to court records.

Investigators from the 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office allege Salas touched a 16-year-old male student in a classroom while substitute teaching at the high school, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

The student told a New Mexico State Police officer he was in a classroom alone with Salas on a school day in early March when the man began to rub his shoulders and chest and then asked the boy to take off his shirt.

Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from the high school that showed the student entering and exiting the classroom where Salas was teaching that day, the affidavit says.

Salas is no longer employed as a substitute teacher with Santa Rosa Consolidated School District, Superintendent Martin Madrid said Tuesday. Madrid said the school performed an internal investigation to verify the student's claim and then handed the matter over to state police. He declined to comment on the allegations.

"We just want to reassure students, parents and staff that safety is paramount and the [Santa Rosa Consolidated Schools] leadership and staff remain committed to ensuring each student's educational success and safety," Madrid said.