Las Vegas teen allegedly sexually assaulted, tried to kill teacher over grades

A Las Vegas teenager is being charged with sexual assault and attempted murder after he allegedly attacked his teacher when they were talking about his grades, authorities reported on Friday. 

Jonathan Eluterio Martinez Garcia, 16, allegedly punched and choked his female teacher until she was unconscious and fled the Eldorado High School. The school janitor found the teacher and called the police, repoted Fox 11 Los Angeles. 

Martinez had gone to see the teacher “to talk about his grades,” investigators concluded. "At some point, the (student) got violent and began punching the (teacher) and strangled her until she lost consciousness," they added.

The woman was rushed to the hospital and treated for multiple injuries. Martinez Garcia was found several blocks away from the school.

Martinez was held on a $500,000 bail and is expected to appear in court on Tuesday, reported the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He is charged with attempted murder, sexual assault, battery with intent to commit sexual assault, first-degree kidnapping, and robbery. 

"I am devastated, and the CCSD family hurts for the teacher assaulted at Eldorado High School," said Clark County School District Superintendent Jesus Jara. "Our hearts are heavy because of the violence committed against her, and we pray for her full recovery." Jara added that the attack as “an isolated incident.”

Eldorado High School serves around 2,000 students east of downtown Las Vegas. The school district is the nation’s fifth-largest, with more than 336 schools in an area the size of New Jersey. 

Crime has been rampant in the school district. So far in the school year, police have reported 3,000 assaults and frights and have found more than 25 guns, said the school district police chief, quoted by Fox 11 Los Angeles.