PASADENA — A former girls’ softball coach at Pasadena High School has been cited on suspicion of child annoyance after accusations emerged that he had engaged in inappropriate conversations with one of his players, authorities said Thursday.
Police issued Arthur Baltazar, 47, of Altadena a misdemeanor citation Sept. 23 on suspicion of engaging in “inappropriate communication of a sexual nature,” with a 17-year-old girl he coached, Pasadena police Lt. Tracey Ibarra said.
The alleged inappropriate communication took place both verbally and via text messages during September, the lieutenant said.
“There’s no allegation of any kind of physical touching,” she said.
The softball player told her parents she was receiving inappropriate communications from Baltazar on Sept. 23, Ibarra said. The parents notified the school, which then called the police.
Baltazar was cited the same day and released from custody later in the afternoon after posting $500 bail, according to sheriff’s booking records.
Baltazar was employed as a “walk-on” softball coach at the school during the 2010 season, from March 11 to June 20, Pasadena Unified School District spokeswoman Binti Harvey said. He is not a teacher.
His employment ended along with the softball season, and he would not have been re-hired next year because he failed a background check, Harvey said.
She declined to further comment.
“It’s a police matter,” she said.
Baltazar could not be reached for comment Thursday.
According to Los Angeles County Superior Court records, Baltazar was convicted of driving with a suspended license in Glendale Superior Court in July of 2000, and unlawful display of evidence of vehicle registration in Alhambra Superior Court in January 2000.
The alleged misconduct took place after the softball season.
The new case against Baltazar is in the early stages of investigation and had not yet been presented Thursday to the City Attorney’s Office, which will review the results of the police investigation and determine whether criminal charges are warranted, Ibarra said.