Adriana Mariel Rullan appears inset on the left against an image of the middle school where she used to teach in Laredo, Tex. (Webb County Sheriff’s Office; Google Maps)
A teacher in Texas had at least one dozen sexual interactions with one of her middle school students earlier this year, authorities say.
Adriana Mariel Rullan, 27, stands accused of sexual abuse of a child — continuous victim under the age of 14, improper relationship between educator and student, and indecency with a child — sexual contact, according to Webb County court records reviewed by Law&Crime.
The defendant previously taught and coached at Antonio Gonzalez Middle School in Laredo, a large border city just north of the Rio Grande that is a major Lone Star State trade and transit hub.
She is no longer employed as an educator.
According to an affidavit in the case obtained by the Laredo Morning Times, the parents of a 13-year-old boy became suspicious after he spent $133 at a local Academy sporting goods store. When initially quizzed by his mother and stepfather, the boy allegedly said he received the money from “good friends,” the affidavit reportedly says.
Then, the stepfather searched the boy’s Cash App and found a suspicious series of transactions from a user with an image of a dog as their profile picture. Law enforcement identified that account as the defendant’s. While looking through the child’s phone, the boy’s stepfather also discovered a text message conversation labeled “Adriana” containing pink heart graphics, the affidavit reportedly says.
Those twin discoveries prompted the boy to run away from home, according to the court document obtained by the Morning Times.
After that, the boy’s stepfather reportedly dialed the “Adriana” contact and a woman answered the phone call. After some time, the woman on the other end of the line allegedly identified herself as the 13-year-old’s teacher. According to the affidavit cited by the paper, the defendant repeatedly offered to help the child’s parents locate him — but the stepfather was ultimately able to do so on his own.
Rullan allegedly called the boy’s parents back, on numerous occasions, to discuss the situation. Sometime after that, in late November, the boy’s parents filed a criminal complaint.
Late in the afternoon on Nov. 27, an investigator met with the principal of the middle school who reportedly showed the investigator screenshots of text messages and Cash App transactions. In one text message, Rullan allegedly told the boy she thought she might be pregnant.
“In addition, (the principal) also took pictures of images that Rullan had sent (the boy), which included her in a bikini, underwear showing her breasts with hickies plus other compromising sexual pictures of her,” the affidavit obtained by the Morning Times reportedly reads.
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After reaching out to law enforcement herself, Rullan met with the investigator on the morning of Nov. 29. She repeatedly denied that her relationship with her student was sexual.
“Somewhat, I know I did wrong,” the defendant allegedly said at one point during her interview, when asked about the alleged sex, according to the affidavit. “I’ve always been the type to put their needs in front of mine, and I just feel like this just got carried away.”
The teacher’s story took a similar tone — halfway contrite but still denying a crime — when she spoke with the child’s parents.
“I know I messed up,” Rullan allegedly said in a conversation that was recorded. “I am the adult person. I should’ve known better.”
Law enforcement, however, did not believe her.
Text messages showed the teacher and the student engaged in “sexual intercourse/sexual contact” during school on at least 12 occasions beginning Aug. 18 through Nov. 19, according to the affidavit.
The defendant was arrested by the United Independent School District Police Department on Dec. 20, jail records show. She posted her $175,000 bail and was released later that day.
On the same day Rullan was arrested, the school district where she worked released a vague statement referencing a “former employee” to Laredo-based NBC and ABC affiliate KGNS.
“UISD has learned of the arrest of a former employee for various charges,” the statement reads. “UISD promptly followed administrative and legal protocol and collaborated with UISD PD to investigate the serious allegations made against the former employee prior to the arrest. The former employee was also placed on leave once UISD was made aware of the allegations.”
On the day the alleged illicit relationship between the student and teacher was discovered, the boy also tried to harm himself, according to the affidavit obtained by the paper. The 13-year-old was hospitalized and later admitted to a mental health facility.
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