Married Teacher Allegedly Caught Undressed in Back of Car with Teen Student: Police
Erin Ward, 45, was allegedly found inside a car with a 17-year-old student, according to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office
A Nebraska teacher was arrested on April 13 after police allegedly caught her undressed in a car with a teenager.
At 2:49 p.m., the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office received a call about a suspicious vehicle parked on a dead end street near the 10200th block of North 189th St., the sheriff’s office said in a release.
The deputies found the car — a Gray 2015 Honda Pilot — and two people in the backseat.
One of the people inside quickly got into the driver’s seat and drove away, crashing into a yard two blocks away, the release alleges.
The driver, a teenage male, got out of the car “wearing no clothes,” the release states, and fled on foot.
Deputies spoke to the other person in the car, an adult female, identified as Erin Ward, who was allegedly putting her clothes on in the backseat, according to the release.
When deputies found an Omaha Public School employee ID in the SUV, Ward confirmed she was a substitute teacher at OPS Burke High School and two other local schools, the release alleges.
“Ward also admitted to having sexual intercourse with the driver who she indicated was a 17-year-old male student at Burke High School,” police allege in the release.
Ward and her spouse own the vehicle, say police.
Shortly after, at 4 p.m., deputies found the 17-year-old in a nearby neighborhood, wearing boxer shorts, a t-shirt and socks.
He was transported to a safe place to receive care and be interviewed, the release says.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
Ward and the teen, whose identity is not being made public because of his age, were given “minor medical attention” for the injuries they sustained in the crash and when the teen was fleeing on foot, the release says.
The sheriff’s office confirmed that Ward was an employee at the Omaha Public Schools, the release says.
She was arrested and charged with one count of felony sexual abuse by a school employee.
She was taken to the Douglas County Department of Corrections. It is unclear whether she has retained an attorney who can speak on her behalf.
Anyone with additional information about Ward is asked to contact DCSO at 402-444-6000.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on People.