Coach thought he was talking to 15-year-old for months, constable says. It was a cop

A youth athletic coach accused of planning to meet a 15-year-old was arrested as part of an undercover sting operation, Texas authorities say.

The Harris County Constable’s Office announced the arrest Thursday, July 20, of Miguel Angel Carlos, a 46-year-old coach in the Lasara Independent School District.

For months, Carlos was talking online with “who he thought was a 15-year-old girl,” according to the constable. He made plans to meet the girl in Houston, more than 300 miles northeast of Lasara, police said.

Waiting for Carlos was a member of the Harris County Constable’s Office, who made the arrest Thursday in Harlingten. Authorities said Carlos had been talking to an undercover officer the entire time.

Carlos, who the constable said is married with two children, coached girls’ basketball and girls’ track for a K-12 school. He was also a technology specialist for the district, KPRC reported.

Alejos Salazar, Jr., the district’s superintendent, notified families of the arrest Thursday.

“Please be advised that our school district has been informed of the arrest of one of our employees,” Salazar said in a statement. “Please be advised that the arrest did not involve any Lasara ISD students, nor did it take place in our community.”

Carlos was charged with two counts of online solicitation of a minor, according to the constable. A judge set his bond at $500,000.

“(Investigators) work tirelessly around the clock protecting our children from these predators,” the constable said. “Please keep an eye on your child’s online activity. These criminals are master manipulators.”

This story was originally published July 21, 2023 at 8:13 AM.