Overview
- Chicago police arrested Carlos M. Mendez, 51, and Maribel Flores-Hernandez, 34, on Feb. 5; both are detained in Cook County Jail ahead of a Feb. 25 hearing.
- Prosecutors allege the pair repeatedly assaulted Flores-Hernandez’s then-13-year-old relative beginning in August 2023 through grooming and coercion.
- Court filings also describe a separate allegation involving a 14-year-old during a June 2025 family trip to Miami, and Miami police have issued arrest warrants.
- DCFS was notified on Oct. 25, 2025, interviewed the child that day, and Chicago police became involved by Oct. 28–29, according to the state’s proffer.
- District 65 says no students were involved and has both employees on leave; Mendez remains listed on the school website, and he was previously placed on leave in 2023 after a separate complaint before being reinstated.