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A photo posted on Instagram shows Thelmo Garcia, parents of his students confirmed on March 12, 2015.
A fourth-grade teacher in Los Angeles is facing up to 6 years in prison over allegations he abused a student at Rosewood Elementary School with a plastic bag.

Teacher Thelmo Garcia, 37, was arrested off campus and charged with a single count of child abuse last Friday stemming from an incident in February in which Garcia allegedly put a plastic bag over a 10-year-old student's head for several seconds before removing it, KTLA 5 reports.

Garcia pleaded not guilty at his arraignment at the Foltz Criminal Justice Center in downtown L.A. and was held on a $100,000 bond, according to NBC Los Angeles.

"I was surprised because I thought he was a good person," Rianna Lashchev, a former student of Garcia's, told the news site. "I was crying and I felt bad for him."

Parent Tara Siddiqi, however, is less surprised.

"Her daughter, Tanya Siddiqi, said her teacher would pull children's hair, give high-fives while holding a tack, and throw staples at students," NBC Los Angeles reports.

Los Angeles Unified School District officials issued a statement about Garcia's arrest that does not detail his alleged misdeeds, but informs parents that he was removed from the school in February. The statement also does not disclose whether Garcia is on paid or unpaid leave, or whether he was terminated.

His profile was also removed from the school's website, according to KTLA 5.

"We take these allegations very seriously. The District is fully cooperating with the LAPD investigation. Crisis intervention counselors are at the school today for any students who might be affected by the arrest," the March 12 LAUSD statement read.

The United Teachers Los Angeles, Garcia's union, did not return messages from NBC Los Angeles for comment. The Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office also refused to discuss the allegations against Garcia, according to the news site.

An LAUSD spokeswoman told KTLA 5 Garcia had worked in the district since 1999, and at Rosewood Elementary School since 2011.

KTLA 5 reports Garcia has a penchant for posting photos of his students to Instagram. During a visit by police in April, Garcia posted multiple pictures with captions:

"Having the officers scare my kids. Yay me," one of the captions read, according to the news site.

Another, depicting a student sitting in the back of a police car, read: "Can I please sit in the back of the police car?? I'm like sure..it'll be good practice haha."

"We're trusting our child to this teacher every day," parent Denesee Pettway told KTLA 5. "Whatever was taking place in this classroom that prompted the children to be as uncomfortable as they were was definitely alarming."

Others who commented online were not convinced the teacher's behavior is criminal.

"What a sorry, incomplete report. Why are they spreading this teacher's picture all over the media on an allegation. They could have reported this without printing his name or picture," Pd Hurdle posted to NBC Los Angeles. "An allegation does not equal guilt."