Andrew G. Alvarado, the Superintendent of Fresno County’s third-largest school district, was arrested late Thursday on suspicion of committing domestic violence upon a relative, arrest records show.
Alvarado was booked into Fresno County Jail by Fresno Police in the early hours of Friday, June 4 from his northwest Fresno home, a Fresno County Sheriff’s spokesman confirmed to The Sun on Monday.
Alvarado was arrested on suspicion of violating penal code section 273.5(a), corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant.
The offense is known as a wobbler, which means prosecutors could charge it as a misdemeanor or felony depending upon the severity of the circumstances.
Shortly after being booked into Fresno County Jail, the Central Unified Superintendent posted bond in the amount of $2,500 and was released.
Speaking to The Sun on Monday, Alvarado noted there was still much ahead following his arrest.
“It’s in the hands of the District Attorney and she has yet to – as far as I’m aware – file charges,” Alvarado said Monday afternoon. “There’s a judicial process that we’ll be going through. I’m confident that the right decisions will be made by the District Attorney and we’ll move forward.”
Alvarado, who said he was still on-duty as the district’s Superintendent, reflected on his current circumstances.
“We know there’s consequences for every action,” he said. “Sometimes negative and positive.”
Last year, prosecutors charged Alvarado with two misdemeanor violations – contracting without a license and failing to secure workers compensation insurance.
Last February, Fresno County Superior Court Judge Jon Kapetan issued an arrest warrant for Alvarado in the amount of $6,700 for the pair of business-related charges.
Hired in 2018 after a contentious ouster of former Superintendent Mark Sutton, Alvarado positioned himself as a repairer of the breach for a highly-divided school district.
“Ultimately, it’s my responsibility to try to win over the community. I think that once they see that see my work ethic and my engagement with the staff and parents and students and community alike, I think my actions speak for themselves,” Alvarado said at the time.
Prior to his arrival at Central, Alvarado was the Superintendent of Golden Valley Unified School District in Madera County.
Alvarado is part of a local family of educators.
His wife is a teacher at Central Unified’s Rio Mesa Middle School and his brother, Johnny, is a former Clovis Unified administrator who now serves as Principal at Bullard High School in Fresno.
