Maria Zurita
Posted by Webmaster in Alternative Education, FE-MV, Hall of Shame, New York, Teacher's Aides5/31/07 – Initial BBT Report)
Maria Zurita, 28, a former teachers aide at a school run by McQuade Children Services in New Windsor, New York has been indicted along with teacher Rebecca Becker for allegedly having sexual relations with 16-year-old male residents. The school serves children referred by social services, family court and school districts.
Zurita was indicted on a felony charge of third-degree rape and a misdemeanor charge of endangering the welfare of a child.
The women were arrested on May 30th after the school called police.
The sexual activity between the women and the two boys is alleged to have taken place over the Memorial Day weekend at Zurita’s home.
Both women remain free on $1,000 bonds.
1/29/08 – Trial Delayed
The trial of Maria Zurita scheduled to begin on Monday has been delayed until February 4th owing to the prosecutions inability to properly serve a subpoena on the alleged victim, who apparently does not wish to be served.
2/04/08 – Plea Bargain Off – Trial Going Forward
A plea deal between prosecutors and Maria Zurita under which Zurita would plead guilty to the misdemeanor charge of endangering the welfare of a child fell apart today as Zurita accused her former co-defendant of lying about a sexual escapade with two underage students last year at Zurita’s house.
Orange County Court Judge Nicholas DeRosa said that the deal was off and ordered a that a jury be seated for a trail which is getting underway today.
2/05/08 – Judge Issues Warrant For Alleged Victim
When the alleged victim failed to show up in court the trial judge issued a bench warrant for his arrest.
Rebecca Becker testified for prosecution and will face cross-examination tomorrow.
2/07/08 – Trial Continues
The attorney for Maria Zurita attacked the testimony of Rebecca Becker, the states only real witness since the alleged victim is still “missing in action”.
For the defense Maria Zurita took the stand and testified there was no sex between her and the alleged victim.
2/07/08 – Statutory Rape Charge Dismissed
The trial judge has dismissed the statutory rape charge against Maria Zurita.
The trial continues on misdemeanor charge of endangering the welfare of a child.
02/08/08 – Guilty Verdict
The jury has found Maria Zurita guilty on the misdemeanor charge of endangering the welfare of a child.
Zurita faces up to one year in jail when sentenced April 4th.
05/09/08 – Sentencing
Today Maria Zurita was sentenced to the maximum 1 year in jail on her conviction on a charge of endangering the welfare of a child.
At sentencing Zurita apologized to the judge for “all the trouble I’ve caused”, although she did not admit to having sex with the boy.
Zurita’s attorney indicated that Zurita will appeal her conviction and sentence and that he will seek a stay of her sentence from the a state Supreme Court justice while the appeal is pending.
References:
Former teacher’s aide gets year behind bars for partying with male student
Former teacher’s aide found guilty (2/08/08)
Judge dismisses rape charge against former teacher’s aide (2/07/08)
Ex-teacher’s aide denies she had sex with student (2/07/08)
Defense attorney paints former McQuade teacher as a liar in colleague’s rape trial (2/06/08)
Judge issues arrest warrant for teenager in rape trial of former teacher’s aide (2/05/08)
Ex-teacher’s aide to stand trial in sex case (2/05/08)
Plea bargain called off for former McQuade teacher’s aide in sexual misconduct case (2/04/08)
Subpoena problems delay trial in sex case (1/29/08)
Former McQuade teacher, aide indicted on charges of having sex with students (7/26/07)
Locate All BadBadTeacher.com Coverage of Rebecca Becker and Maria Zurita
Entries (RSS)
Eddie waited til’ he finished high school He went to Hollywood, got a tattoo He met a girl out there with a tattoo too The future was wide open
They moved into a place they both could afford He found a night club he could work at the door She had a guitar and she taught him some chords The sky was the limit
Into the great wide open Under them skies of blue Out in the great wide open A rebel without a clue.
Dominic, you have to admit she looks a lot like Tom Petty. You’re not the smartest in your remedial art class are you?
WOW! Dominic, I didn’t waste my time typing any lyrics. I just cut and paste them from a different website and it took like two seconds. You can learn how to cut and paste too. I wish you would learn to use commas.
Dan you (Deleted by site moderator) and you must not have a life too take the time to write the lyrics down from a song what a (Deleted by site moderator) a girls life is on the line and you take the time out of your day to be a (Deleted by site moderator) very good dan I’m sure your family is very proud of you Maria are prayers are with you god bless you
This comment has been edited by site moderator in accordance with site policies as outlined in the “Comments” page.
This girl looks like TOM PETTY!
Well she was an American girl
Raised on promises
She couldn’t help thinkin’ that there
Was a little more to life
Somewhere else
After all it was a great big world
With lots of places to run to
Yeah, and if she had to die
Tryin’ she
Had one little promise she was gonna keep
Oh yeah
All right
Take it easy baby
Make it last all night
She was an American girl
Well, it was kind of cold that night
She stood alone on her balcony
Yeah, she could the cars roll by
Out on 441
Like waves crashin’ on the beach
And for one desperate moment there
He crept back in her memory
God its so painful
Something that’s so close
And still so far out of reach
Oh yeah
All right
Take it easy baby
Make it last all night
She was an American girl
I know this woman and saw first hand all the evidence the judge denied that would prove her innocent. I know for a fact the judge was friends with beckers family and made a deal with becker witch buried maria. The boy even said maria didn’t do it the boys mother said it was ok for her to pick him up, the boys lawer said she didn’t do it. Remember becker had to beg maria to pick this boy up and bring him to her it was a saturday and she was busy but maria being the giving person she is went to help her boss becker. And becker had a deal to bury maria and get off on only 3 months after addmitting having sex with the boy. Now all the work and school maria spent her life doing was a complete waste, her family spent all there money on terrible lawers and her name is in the gutter. Even in the letters becker and the boy talk about how they don’t want maria there but needed to use her so they could be together. The whole thing is sickening she is innocent and in jail for a year and they took everything she ever worked for in her life!!! They even had a male cop strip search her it’s disgusting!!!!!! she is the sweetest most caring woman I ever met and would never do a thing like this!!!!! If that doesn’t (Deleted by site moderator) you off think about all the tax dollars wasted on the pathetic judge and DA think about all the real criminals out there while maria rots in jail!!!! And don’t forget every pice of evidence maria had proving becker was lying and she was innocent was denied the sickening judge he even made rude comments and wise little remarks to maria i saw all the evidence myself and if you saw what I saw you would all be (Deleted by site moderator) off! (Deleted by site moderator)
In keeping with site policies as outlined in the “Comments” page the last name of the person purported to have left this comment has been altered to an initial only by the site moderator.
PPPPPLLLLEEEAAAASSSSEEEE!!!! I personally worked with Maria Zurita and Rebecca Becker and they were BOTH having SEXUAL relationships with these two BOYS!!!!!!!! I know that I had said and made several complaints to the principal and safety and security advisor and nothing came about it was out in the open pretty much and no one did anything about it. I also called CPS and nothing happend so believe me NEITHER ONE OF THESE CHILD MOLESTERS are INNOCENT!!!!
It sounds to me as she totally lucked out. What a joke. But it seems like the judge was looking for a way to keep her out of prison and her found one, with the help of the boy.