The principal of a California elementary school was arrested after four students said he touched them inappropriately while working as a second-grade teacher, police said.

Richard Garcia, 49, was booked on Wednesday for suspicion of child molestation after a girl in second grade told police about four months ago that she was a victim of “inappropriate touching” while at Washington Elementary School, Mendota Police Chief Gregg Andreotti told the Fresno Bee.

Investigators said they then identified three additional victims. The alleged incidents took place between 2012 and 2014 when Garcia was a teacher at the school. He has since been promoted to principal at McCabe Elementary School in Mendota, according to the newspaper.

Garcia, who remains in custody at the Fresno County jail in lieu of $480,000 bail, has since been placed on administrative leave, district officials said.

“While my ability to give a more detailed statement is limited due to the ongoing investigation of the allegations made against Mr. Garcia, I am working closely with the Mendota Police Department and the Fresno County District Attorney’s office to ensure the safety, education and well-being of our students remains a top priority,” Mendota Unified Superintendent Paul Lopez said in a statement.

Garcia, who was wearing school apparel in his mug shot, was seemingly passionate about his job and rose up the ranks throughout the district to head the 700-student school, friends told KFSN.

“It’s surprising,” former student Adrian Guevara told the station. “You never expect a teacher to be that loved by the kids to [have committed] that crime.”

Guevara said Garcia taught his sister and left a lasting, positive impact on the girl.

“Since the whole entire time I’ve known her, second grade changed her the most,” Guevara told the station. “There’s always that grade or teacher who inspired you to do good in school … for my sister, it was that teacher.”