PHOENIX — A former kindergarten teacher from Sierra Vista has been arrested and charged with child sex crimes following a monthlong investigation.
Police say 38-year-old Zana Horton was taken into custody last Thursday on two felony counts of sexual conduct with a minor. The investigation began after officials at a Phoenix juvenile detention facility reported concerns about an inappropriate relationship between an adult and a juvenile.
According to authorities, investigators with the Sierra Vista Police Department’s Special Operations Bureau launched an inquiry that led them to Horton. They allegedly recovered handwritten letters suggesting a romantic and sexual relationship between her and a juvenile.
The correspondence reportedly contained personal exchanges that raised red flags for investigators, who then identified Horton as the adult involved. She was arrested without incident and booked into the Cochise County jail.
Horton is believed to have worked as a kindergarten teacher at Berean Academy, a charter school in Sierra Vista. Her current employment status was not immediately available.
The case remains under investigation, and no further details about the juvenile’s identity or the nature of their interactions have been publicly released. Authorities have not ruled out the possibility of additional charges.
Horton remains in custody as the legal process moves forward.
