Northern California Teacher Accused Of Molestation Found Dead Surfing 

Two days ago, in the Northern California surf community of Marin, 55-year-old teacher Darren Michael Smith was found dead after going for a surf at a remote beach. His death comes the day after being arrested by Marin County Sheriffs and released on $200,000 bail, charged with “committing a lewd act upon a child younger than 14, a felony, and several related counts,” according to the Marin Independent Journal. 

“Smith was placed on administrative leave after the Mill Valley School District staff reported his alleged sexual offenses to the sheriff’s office. Sheriff’s detectives later gathered enough evidence to have a probable cause to arrest him on Tuesday.”

After being arrested and released on bail Tuesday, Smith apparently headed out to a remote wave in Marin County.

According the SF Gate, “Just after 2:30 p.m., a caller to 911 reported that a surfer was possibly washed out to sea at Point Reyes. The person was last seen at 10 a.m. and his surfboard washed up on the beach at about 1 p.m.”

“At 5:33 p.m., a lifeless body was located floating in the ocean about 2.5 miles northwest of the Drakes Beach parking area, the Marin County Sheriff’s Office said. A Coast Guard helicopter recovered the body, which was exhibiting signs of physiologic death and was therefore declared deceased at 5:35 p.m.”

“The man has been identified as Darren Smith, a 55-year-old man from Fairfax who was just arrested Tuesday on suspicion of lewd and lascivious acts with a child and continuous sexual abuse of a child.”

Smith was scheduled for arraignment on Friday.