Lake County teacher arrested in alleged attempt to meet teen girl for sex

A 36-year-old teacher who lives in Clearlake was arrested in Orange County this past week on suspicion of attempting to meet an underage girl for sex, police in the city of Brea said Saturday.

Ricardo Ruiz was arrested Thursday on three felony charges related to contacting a minor with the intent to commit a host of crimes, including having sex, Brea Police Lt. Tony Barbosa said.

Ruiz was jailed in lieu of $100,000 bail and released Friday after posting a bail bond.

Officers and detectives took Ruiz into custody at a Brea shopping center parking lot after receiving a tip from a television reporter about a civilian group’s sting operation, which was aimed at nabbing suspected sexual predators, Barbosa said.

Jail records stated Ruiz’s occupation as a teacher, but authorities on Saturday could not confirm where he works.

The group that calls itself the Creep Catching Unit had conducted two similar stings set up online in the past six months in Brea, a city of about 50,000 in northern Orange County about 500 miles from Clearlake.

Traveling that distance indicates a “strong intent” by a suspect to engage in crime, Barbosa said. Ruiz had no criminal record, he said.

Ruiz is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.

You can reach Staff Writer Guy Kovner at 707-521-5457 or guy.kovner@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @guykovner.