Sean Martin Arce, 43, former director (contract not renewed) of Mexican American Studies, Tuscon Unified School District, Tuscon, Arizona, "booked for Domestic Violence Assault, Domestic Violence Damage, and Domestic Violence Trespassing" In addition to a detailed account of the arrest, the below article in the Arizona Daily Independent also contains a lot of background information: Arizona Daily Independent: Mexican American Studies Arce arrested for domestic violence: Arce leaves behind broken windows and blood (Dec 27 2012) According to police reports, the string of violence began at La Cocina, in the 200 block of North Court when Arce approached his ex-wife; Essence Arce. Witnesses reported that Arce had grabbed Ms. Arce’s elbow, hyper extending her elbow. Arce was “forcibly pulling her away from her friend….. Unknown bar patrons intervened and separated” Arce from his ex-wife.” Once Ms. Arce “was free” of Arce, “the two (women) fled.” They drove to Ms. Arce’s home.After a short while, the friend called Ms. Arce to advise her that she had seen Arce in the neighborhood walking toward Ms. Arce’s home. Immediately after she got the phone call, someone started banging loudly on the sliding glass door at the rear of the home. Ms. Arce “fled the home through the garage and left” in a friend’s car, while another friend called 911. Ms. Arce awaited the police at a friend’s home.Prior to the arrival of the police a neighbor also reported a break-in in progress. The neighbor advised police that he had heard banging at his neighbor’s house and went to investigate. The neighbor found a man unknown to him inside the home. He appeared to be bleeding from his right hand. The neighbor yelled out and Arce responded, “Are you a cop?” Arce then fled down the hallway and exited out through the garage. Tags:
Once again, there's also a lot of background material in this Tuscon Weekly article. Tuscon Weekly: A Night of Regret: The Arrest of TUSD's Former MAS Director Brings Contrition, Discussion on Gender Violence (Dec 29 2012) Here’s what happened the night of Saturday, Dec. 8 and early morning of Sunday, Dec. 9, according to a Tucson Police Department report obtained by the Weekly. Police said they responded to what was described as a break-in in progress. One witness interviewed said he heard banging at his neighbor's house, went to investigate and saw two broken windows and a man he didn't know bleeding from his right hand and standing inside the house. When the man saw the witness, he left the house, and the neighbor followed him and saw the man get into a white sedan.More information about what occurred that night came from a police interview with Arce's ex-wife, who told police she was at La Cocina the night of Saturday, Dec. 8, when Arce showed up, grabbed her arm and pulled her away from a table where she sat with friends. After several patrons separated the couple, she left the bar and restaurant with friends and drove home.A friend who was leaving the ex-wife's house saw Arce in the neighborhood, according to the ex-wife's interview, and called to tell her that Arce was driving toward the house. After she got off the phone, Arce’s ex-wife heard banging against a sliding glass door and she left with friends through the garage. They drove off and she called the police.The report noted that when police arrived at the house, they found the front door and garage door open, and two broken windows, one of them with no glass left in the frame. But no one was inside. Blood found on glass from a broken window and on the front door was collected for evidence, according to the report. Arce's ex-wife told police that she thought he was staying at the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa to celebrate his birthday. Police arrested Arce at his Starr Pass room and he was transported to the Pima County Jail and booked on suspicion of domestic violence/assault, domestic violence/criminal damage and domestic violence/trespassing. Rehashed a few days later: Tuscon Weekly: A Night to Regret : The arrest of TUSD's former MAS director brings forth contrition, as well as questions about gender and domestic violence (Jan 3 2013)
Background regarding the non-renewal of his contract ... Arizona Daily Star: TUSD dropping its director of Mexican American Studies (Apr 4 2012) TUSD Superintendent John Pedicone would not comment on why the decision was made, saying only that the Governing Board was "not willing to renew his contract for a number of reasons." ... Pedicone said he had hoped to retain Arce in a different capacity, offering him an assistant principal position at a middle school, but Arce declined.
