What did Omar Ayala do? Charges explored as former High School Coach arrested at Orlando airport

On Monday, July 24, former Okeechobee High School coach Omar Ayala was arrested for allegedly having inappropriate relations with a teenage girl. According to WPTV, Ayala was detained by authorities at Orlando airport, soon after he arrived from Mexico. He is facing one charge of s*xual activity with a minor.

Trigger warning: This article concerns an abuse case, the reader's discretion is advised

The first complaint against Ayala was made to school officials in 2020 (image via LinkedIn)

According to CBS, authorities had been pursuing Omar Ayala since April. However, he was reportedly aided by his friend Arturo Dominguez, a then Osceola County Deputy who supposedly tipped him off. Dominguez was subsequently fired and arrested for misusing his position to aid a suspected criminal.

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The timeline of the allegations against Omar Ayala

As reported by WQCS, in 2020, the mother of the alleged victim complained about Omar Ayala to the Okeechobee school board. The mother claimed that Ayala, who was approximately 28 at the time, was speaking inappropriately to the victim. Ayala was subsequently banned from talking to the victim, and also from coaching girls' sports at the school.

The suspect was lifelong friends with a police officer who is accused of helping him (images via Osceola/Okeechobee authorites)

The Okeechobee Sheriff acknowledged that the incident had been brought up before, but was not deemed criminal at the time.

Sheriff Noel Stephen said:

"It was definitely brought to everybody’s attention, a couple of years ago that there may be something going on. It wasn’t enough to verify."

At an undisclosed period of time, the mother also informed the Okeechobee Sheriff's Office about her allegations against Omar Ayala. In 2023, authorities determined that they had accumulated enough evidence to mount a case against the then high school coach.

In June, Stephens discussed the case.

Sheriff Stephens said:

“For an adult to take advantage of a custodial situation that they’re supposed to be teaching and educating these children while they’re at the school, it’s just a breach."

However, they soon discovered that Ayala had a close friendship with then Osceola Sheriff's Deputy Arturo Dominguez. Dominguez was accused of repeatedly checking the Sheriff's Office database for any signs of Ayala's name, before tipping his friend off before authorities could detain him.

After authorities discovered Dominguez's supposed association with the suspected abuser, the former cop was charged. Dominguez is facing four counts, including accessory after the fact to unlawful activity with a minor.

It is unknown how long the suspect was in Mexico (image via Okeechobee Sheriff's Office)

Sheriff Stephen commented on Dominguez's supposed role in assisting the accused predator.

He said:

“His involvement did not aid us and assist us. It’s made it more difficult."

During an undisclosed period after the tip-off, Omar Ayala reportedly fled to Mexico. He became the subject of a manhunt involving the Okeechobee Sheriff's Department, Homeland Security, and Border Protection. Sheriff Stephen emphasized that the community's input was crucial during the course of the search.