On Sunday, Feb. 22, 63-year-old Vincent H. Greco was arrested on the San Diego Mesa College campus by detectives of the San Diego Police Sex Registration and Sex Crimes division.
According to the San Diego Police Department, Greco was taken into custody for failing to comply with sex registration requirements. A subsequent records check revealed Greco is a registered sex offender.
Greco did not inform officials of the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts of his previous offense. Until recently, he volunteered at the school as a music instructor.
Police cannot disclose the exact details of Greco’s prior offense except that it was for child molestation.
Mesa campus police were informed of the arrest warrant by the SDPD before Greco’s arrest. Campus police provided an officer for assistance.
Last Wednesday, according to 10 News, SDPD sex-crimes investigators received a report about possible “inappropriate conduct” between Greco and a student at San Diego School of Creative Performing Arts.
“They [SDPD] couldn’t locate Greco’s home address,” said Charlie Hogquist, Chief of District Police. “But they [SDPD] were eventually able to locate Greco through the Jazz Ensemble’s website. They found that the band had practice on Sunday at Mesa College.”
Greco is not an employee of Mesa or the San Diego Community College District. His band, the Jazz Ensemble, has no affiliation with Mesa. They only use the campus as a place to rehearse.
“They actually use our facilities that we make available to the community,” said Lina Heil, the Information Officer at Mesa College. “They are one of 3 musical performance groups that rehearse here on campus.”
According to Richard Dittbenner, Director of Public Information and Government Relations, public law requires that the district make its facilities available to qualifying community organizations.
“The music organization to which the person who was arrested [Greco] belongs is but one of many nonprofit community organizations.that hold their activities and events on district campuses,” said Dittbenner.
Administrators from the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts, board members of the Jazz Ensemble, Mesa College and the San Diego Community College District are cooperating in the investigation of Greco.
Greco is the director for the Jazz Ensemble, a musical group of students ranging between the ages of 13 and 19.
As indicated by the Jazz Ensemble website, Greco started the jazz band for students in 2006, but did not notify Mesa officials of his status as a sex offender before beginning use of campus property.
In accordance with state law and the Office of Attorney General’s website, sex offenders are required by law to update their information annually on the Attorney General’s sex offender website. More serious offenders are required to update their information more frequently, in some cases up to every 90 days.
The website also offers information on registered sex offenders and their offenses, how to protect yourself, and the rules offenders are to follow to keep their registration current.
According to Chief Hogquist, sex offenders are allowed to work on campus as long as they are registered with the state of California, meet the requirements set by SDCCD, and are qualified for the position.
Chief Hogquist also stated that this was a very unfortunate event and a closer look at backgrounds will be taken in the hiring process of employees and volunteers from now on.
Greco’s bail was set at $500,000. He has yet to post bail and is still in custody.
The arrest was made at 4:40 p.m., just as practice for the Jazz Ensemble was set to begin.