Female California teacher, 43, 'plied boy, 13, with weed then raped him in her car'

A 43-year-old Los Angeles teacher has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a 13-year-old boy after plying him with weed.

Colleen Jo Matarico, an educator at John Burroughs Middle School, has been taken into custody on suspicion of child molestation.

Investigators believe she 'groomed and sexually assaulted a 13-year-old victim in her classroom and later convinced the victim to have sexual intercourse in her vehicle.'

Matarico has been charged with five counts of lewd acts with a minor, two counts of lewd acts with a minor 14 or 15 years old and one count of furnishing marijuana to a minor.

The Valley Village resident could potentially face additional charges as detectives expect more victims to come forward.

It remains unclear whether she is still employed or has been let go.

Principal Dr. Steve Martinez of the John Burroughs Middle School exclusively told DailyMail.com they are cooperating with LAPD's investigation and confirmed that the accused was arrested off campus.

'The safety of our students and our school community remains our top priority. On November 7 we were notified that a Burroughs employee had been arrested off campus for alleged misconduct with a minor,' Martinez said.

'In late October of 2023, the school received concerns about this employee. Upon receiving these concerns, we immediately contacted the Los Angeles Police Department and removed the employee from campus.

'Once cleared by the Los Angeles Police Department to notify the school community, a notification was sent to families about these allegations. District protocols are being followed and we remain in cooperation with local authorities. Due to the ongoing investigation by law enforcement, we are unable to disclose additional details about this matter.

'Please be assured that the safety of our students continues to be our utmost priority. Students and the greater school community are always encouraged to share any and all concerns with their school or with local authorities.

'We remain committed to supporting Burroughs MS and the greater school community with counseling and support services. We understand that some students may be impacted by this incident.

'Students can always reach out to teachers, counselors or school staff for support.'

Officials have asked anyone with information to contact the LAPD Juvenile Division detectives or CrimeStoppers.

Matarico is currently being held on a $1.3 million bail.

This comes weeks after a Texas teacher was arrested for allegedly having a sexual relationship with her former student .

Angela Barnes, 45, a teacher at Carroll Middle School in Southlake, was taken into custody after officials received a tip that she was having a sexual relationship with the 15-year-old boy.

Officials with Keller Public Safety and the school said that the relationship had occurred off-campus between June and July of this year.

The Keller Police Department began its investigation in late September and soon charged Barnes with the sexual assault of a child and an improper relationship between an educator and a student.

As of now, officials believe that there are no other victims. Barnes is currently being held at Keller Regional Jail.

She has since been placed on leave by the Carroll Independent School District.