North Texas youth coach accused in sexual assault of a child, police say

PROSPER, Texas — A 37-year-old North Texas man who was serving as a youth sports coach was arrested Monday in the alleged sexual assault of a 14-year-old, Prosper police say. 

The suspect, Michael Angel Garcia, of Prosper, was arrested by Hill County Sheriff’s Office deputies on Interstate 35 in Hillsboro, officials said, due to coordinated efforts between multiple agencies.

Garcia is expected to be charged with continuous sexual abuse of a young child or disabled individual, a first-degree felony, officials said. Additional charges may be pursued, and Garcia is also facing charges related to a separate family violence incident in Frisco.

While police confirmed that Garcia “was previously affiliated” with the Prosper Baseball Softball Association as a coach, it wasn’t immediately clear if that was connected to the alleged assault. 

Police said the association fired Garcia immediately after learning about his arrest and notified families who had children that were coached by Garcia. Police officials said they are working with the association “to ensure the safety, support, and protection of all youth participants and their families.”

Police say detectives followed Garcia using license plate reader cameras until they obtained an arrest warrant.

Garcia was booked into the Collin County Jail on Monday.

More details about the case were not released.

“This case demonstrates the commitment of the Prosper Police Department and our regional law enforcement partners to protect our most vulnerable community members,” Prosper Police Chief Doug Kowalski said in a statement. “The Town of Prosper’s investment in LPR camera technology and the diligent work of our CID unit proved instrumental in this successful apprehension. Crimes against children are taken extremely seriously in the Town of Prosper, and the department will work tirelessly to investigate and prosecute such offenders to the fullest extent of the law.”