CBS12 News Team

UPDATED: Port St. Lucie teacher's aide arrested after reports of creepy behavior

By SCOTT T. SMITH / CBS12.com

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Police arrested a classroom aide at Westgate School in Port St. Lucie Thursday on a charge of disorderly conduct after fellow employees reported him acting strangely and touching himself in public.
Port St. Lucie Police arrived at the K-8 school at 1050 NW Cashmere Blvd. on a report of a lewd or lascivious incident. Principal Robert Cranmer said several female employees reported possible sexual harassment by Gerald Destorel, 51, of 1897 SW Citation Ave.
Police interviewed numerous female teachers and employees who reported the suspect staring at them, acting strangely and touching himself while watching them, becoming visibly aroused. In one incident, a male teacher told Destorel to leave and told three female employees to go into a classroom and lock the door for their safety.
One teacher told police she thought Destorel was going to rape her, showing up outside her classroom several times on Tuesday after an initial encounter in the morning in which he stood very close to her and was visibly aroused. That encounter was ended when the victim called for a passing teacher to come in for a conversation about a student. While they talked, the teacher said Destorel could be seen in a reflection standing outside the classroom touching himself, waiting for the other teacher to leave.
Another teacher had a student alert her to Destorel staring at her through a window on Wednesday. When she looked up, she saw Destorel smiling with his head tilted and his eyes appeared to be disoriented.
When a police officer spoke to Destorel in his office on Thursday, he refused to make a statement, except to say "I didn't do anything wrong because I didn't touch anyone."
Police asked questions to determine if he needed to be Baker-acted and taken into custody for a mental evaluation, but he answered the questions appropriately.
Police left to obtain an arrest warrant on a disorderly conduct charge and got a call from the principal, who said Destorel was exhibiting the same behavior after they left. When police arrived about 10 a.m., the school was on a modified lockdown. Police found Destorel in a men's restroom with the door locked and he was speaking loudly inside. When he exited he was confrontational, yelling and making references to God, directing much of his anger toward the principal who was present. Police arrested him on the spot and escorted him from the school without incident.
School district officials pledged to investigate the matter.
"The district will do an internal investigation, while the criminal investigation continues into the alleged lewd actions. The suspect will be placed on office, away from students, until the investigation concludes. We will examine all options for the suspect, including termination" said Janice Karst, St. Lucie School District spokesperson.
Destorel was arrested on disorderly conduct charges. School officials say he is an aide for students learning English.

Tuesday, May 1 2012, 02:34 PM EDT

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