At the end of May, Joshua Alfaro, 42, founder of the nonprofit Alisal Community Arts Network, which provided thousands of East Salinas kids a chance to learn guitar, color guard, drumline, marimbas and mariachi after school, was arrested in Monterey County on charges of child molestation.
He is accused of sexually molesting three girls under the age of 14 dating back to 2018 and most recently in April. Prosecutors say the alleged victims were not in the after-school music program.
His bail was set at $2.7 million.
Monterey County prosecutor Lana Nassoura asked the community to report any suspicions to law enforcement.
Dr. Heather Contreras, Pajaro Valley Unified School District superintendent, issued a statement saying Alfaro was very briefly a consultant to the district, and that the agreement with PVUSD was “terminated immediately upon learning of the arrest.”
She noted, “During the consultant’s brief tenure, from May 22 to May 24, 2024, he visited Pajaro Middle School, Lakeview and Pajaro Valley High, to speak with band directors about musical instrument needs and did not have direct contact with students.”
She added, “Our hearts are with the minors involved in this distressing situation and their families. We remain committed to keeping the safety and well-being of our students as a number one priority at PVUSD.”
The David & Lucile Packard Foundation awarded Alisal Community Arts Network a $30,000 grant in 2021 to support the Indoor Marching Percussion Ensemble and SoundSport Marching Band for a year.