Xavier Cajica-Bautista on Facebook. He claims innocence and says his DNA was not found.

Xavier Cajica-Bautista, a former San Diego Unified special education assistant and soccer coach, was arrested by the Irvine Police Department November 16 for assault with intent to commit rape, sexual battery, obstructing use of a cell phone to report a crime to police and theft.

Grace's restraining order against Xavier

A woman who asks to be called Grace says she went out with friends that Friday night (November 15) to a bar in Anaheim, where she met Matthew Austin, Navy sailor from Coronado, who she says told her he was in town for a soccer game, along with fellow sailor Larry Flores.

Grace says she decided to join Matthew in his hotel room in Irvine for the night and he was the only person with her in the room when she went to sleep. But she was awoken in the middle of the night by a stranger who turned out to be the soccer team’s coach – Xavier. At the time she had no idea who he was. She says he was naked, lying on top of her and trying to force her legs open. Matthew was gone.

“I screamed like I never screamed before.” She says she fought him off with a rage she didn’t know she could have. “I was telling him he is going to pay for this. He took my cell phone and he disconnected the hotel room phone to stop me from calling the police. I fought my way to the door and screamed until people came and called the cops.” She says police arrived then Xavier was arrested after a brief period of questioning.

“Why did this have to happen to me?” she questions. “The police took me to meet with a forensics nurse. They took my clothes and every bit of evidence they could think of. They took pictures. And they gave me medication for infections...I believe God was on my side and may have woken me up just in time.” Her cries grow into sobs throughout the interview.

She continues, “I was having such a good time that night. It was the best time I was having with my girlfriends in a long time. But I decided to leave with Matthew. I trusted him because he’s in the Navy. I have a very big patriotic heart and I believe someone who can commit their life to the military has a very big heart. But...this really messed me up. I am scared for my life. I haven’t been outside and I don’t want to be anywhere where it’s dark.” She adds, “I believe I was fooled and taken advantage of.”

Xavier Cajica-Bautista, born February 26, 1988, was released from an Orange County jail after four days when the Orange County District Attorney’s Office didn’t file charges. He claims innocence and says his DNA was not found. When I ask him for a copy of the DNA report he asks me not to contact him again and refuses to explain what happened in the hotel room.

Matthew and Larry refuse to say which soccer team they play on with Xavier or how he came to replace Matthew in the hotel room. The Orange County DA’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

After getting a copy of a restraining order against Xavier from the police, Grace says she searched the name of her alleged attacker on the internet and found the July 23 Reader story I had written about past allegations of sexual assault against him from a student at Lincoln High School. The alleged minor victim won $400,000 in a civil suit. A source close to that case says a San Diego police detective vigorously investigated and pressed for criminal prosecution but deputy DA Trisha Amador decided not to.

In the July article, I reported Xavier’s name change, which he reportedly got because he kept losing jobs working with students when employers became aware of the allegations against him. Grace says, “I want everyone to know Xavier is not safe to be around. He’s a criminal. He’s a liar. He’s a coward. He doesn’t have the character of a teacher. I don’t want to see this happen to another person ever again.”

According to a Spring 2019 graduation publication from Azusa Pacific University, Xavier obtained a master of science in physical education degree but his previous state certificate of clearance he had for his work at San Diego Unified expired over a year ago and no state certificate is listed under his new name, at least not yet.

A source who wishes to remain unnamed says Xavier was given a chance to work for San Diego’s SD Elite soccer club in 2018 as an interim assistant after he lost jobs at Chula Vista Soccer Club and Rebels Soccer Club but was let go after a few months. The source says a suspicion was raised when Xavier expressed a preference for coaching girls over boys and repeated his desire to coach a girls’ team, a request which was reportedly denied. The source expressed frustration that nobody knew about Xavier’s history with the Lincoln High student and that such “loopholes” in the system allowed him to pass a live-scan background check.

A representative from the California State Soccer Association-South has not responded to say how an investigation that launched in July concluded or what Xavier’s status as a coach is. Rebels Soccer Club was the last known youth club Xavier coached for. They rehired him after he lost his job at SD Elite but a Presidio soccer league official says he left Rebels again through “mutual consent” in July. Rebels did not respond to a request for comment.