Janel Pearl Ramirez, 31, was formally charged with sexual encounters with a minor. Her arraignment is scheduled for Thursday, April 26. If convicted, Ramirez faces jail time of four years and four months, according to John Hall, senior public information specialist for the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.

Ramirez was arrested and released the first week of March. Yesterday, the Riverside County District Attorney filed three felony charges against the former Idyllwild student and Hemet High School teacher.

Since Ramirez was released on bail in March, the district attorney’s office had more than three days to file charges, according to Hall, who said, “We reviewed the evidence and conducted interviews in this case as we would in any case and made our decision to file the charges we deemed appropriate based on that evidence.”

“What a shame! It’s really unfortunate,” said Hemet Unified School District President Bill Sanborn. “I knew her [when she was] growing up. A quality kid, a quality and respected teacher. It really saddens me.”

Ramirez was a ninth grade English teacher, employed with the district since 2007.