The Cabrillo High School baseball coach who is accused of repeatedly meeting up with a student to sexually abuse her could face up to 8 years in state prison if he’s convicted of the charges, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said today.
Gabriel Vigil, 34, pleaded not guilty yesterday to two counts of meeting a minor for lewd purposes and one count each of sexual penetration of a person under 18; unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor; oral copulation of a person under 18; contacting a minor for a sexual offense; and distributing or showing pornography to a minor.
Prosecutors alleged Vigil committed all the crimes between May 1 and July 1 this year while he was working as the baseball coach at Cabrillo High School. He was also a substitute groundskeeper there, according to a Long Beach Unified spokesperson.
Authorities said the crimes occurred “at multiple locations,” including Vigil’s apartment near Pacific Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway.
“Sex predators who exploit their position of trust in a school setting and target minors should know that my office will work with law enforcement to find you, arrest you, and hold you fully accountable,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said in a statement.
A spokesperson for the LBUSD said Vigil is no longer employed at the district.
Before being named Cabrillo’s head baseball coach earlier this year, Vigil was an assistant coach at Cabrillo, Mayfair, and Bellflower high schools. He was also the interim coach at Poly High for a stretch in 2023.
Authorities are trying to determine if there are any other victims. They asked anyone with information to contact Long Beach police at 562-570-7321.
Vigil is being held on $250,000 bail, the DA’s office said.