Man cleaning school arrested for sex assault

WALLINGFORD, Conn. (WTNH) -- A West Haven man hired to clean a Wallingford school was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor while on the job.

Around midnight Monday, police were notified of a possible sexual assault that had taken place earlier that night in the Lyman Hall High School's Vocational Agricultural building, located at 70 Pond Hill Rd., Wallingford.

The high school's principal, David Bryant, and superintendent, Dr. Salvatore Menzo, were notified of the incident and responded to the school to assist police in the investigation.

With the limited information he was able to disclose, Dr. Menzo authorized a letter to be sent home with students informing parents that an incident had occurred and police were investigating. The letter also explained that the incident was not a random act, and that there was not an ongoing safety concern.

The investigation revealed that Juan David Mazo-Ospina, working for a private cleaning company contracted by the Wallingford Board of Education, had sexually assaulted a minor student.

The incident occurred after school hours, while Ospina was working in the Vocational Agricultural building. He was quickly located and voluntarily went to the police department to give his account of the incident.

Based on the victim's statement, Ospina's statement, and other evidence, 32-year-old Ospina, of 302 Saw Mill Road, in West Haven, was charged with two counts of second-degree sexual assault, and two counts of risk of injury to a minor.

He was held on a $200,000 bond.