Former Desert Aquatics Swim Club coach John Casillas has been added to the U.S. Center for SafeSport’s database of banned individuals after an arrest this month.
Courtesy: San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department
Casillas was arrested earlier this month on child stealing charges, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. The 31-year-old Casillas was arrested on August 5 and released on bail. Local police said that they found a missing 16-year-old girl hiding in the bedroom of the house where Casillas and his 62-year-old father lived.
Police tracked down Casillas at a local country club where he taught swim lessons and arrested him. The teen had been missing since July 22nd, and authorities say they discovered that the girl had been communicating with Casillas, who had previously coached the teenage girl at the Desert Aquatics Swim Club.
Casillas no longer appears on the Desert Aquatics website as a coach.
He was added to the U.S. Center for SafeSport’s disciplinary database on Monday, August 24. Casillas is listed under a temporary suspension with a no-contact directive based on allegations of misconduct.
The U.S. Center for SafeSport governs investigations into and disciplinary action taken against members in all Olympic sports in the United States. Appearing in the banned database means Casillas’ temporary suspension applies to his participation in any Olympic sport in the United States.
This the second time for this club and there is a pattern of conduct.
https://www.ocregister.com/2018/06/22/former-ucla-running-star-steve-ortiz-sent-to-prison-for-lewd-acts-with-minor/
This is the 2nd SwimSwam article about this individual and neither story brought that up. Weird.
I don’t think Steve Ortiz was at Desert aquatics at the time of his illegal conduct. I think he had been gone from the club for a decade at that point.
It’s a pretty weak pattern, at best.
He might have been separated from the club when he was arrested, but I can tell you with absolute certainty that he was the head coach within one year of his arrest. I’m wondering if the two of them were coaching there together.
Steve Ortiz was the head coach of desert aquatics at the time of his arrest. He didn’t show up for practice and the team was concerned. The team learned of his arrest on social media the next day. John Casillas was hired as the head coach to replace Steve Ortiz. You’re thinking of Steve Ortiz’s father who had coached the team as well many years ago.