Mill Valley Teacher Facing Child Sex Charges Found Dead In Ocean

MILL VALLEY, CA — A Mill Valley teacher arrested Tuesday on suspicion of sexual abuse of a child was found dead Wednesday after his surfboard washed ashore on Drakes Beach.

Darren Michael Smith, 55, of Fairfax, was placed on administrative leave in March after the Mill Valley Unified School District learned of the allegations and contacted the authorities. The Marin County Sheriff's Office announced Smith's arrest Tuesday, following a weeklong investigation that detectives said established probable cause to detain him. His bail was set at $200,000.

According to KRON, Smith posted bail shortly after the arrest.

The next day, the sheriff's office said it received reports of a surfer washed out to sea along the Point Reyes National Seashore. Investigators said the surfer was last seen around 10 a.m. Wednesday, and a surfboard washed ashore at Drakes Beach around 1 p.m.

Marin County agencies worked with the U.S. Coast Guard, National Park Service, and Sonoma County Sheriff's Office to mount a search by land, sea and air. Shortly after 5:30 p.m., search crews reported a body floating in the ocean roughly 2.5 miles northwest of the Drakes Beach parking area.

A Coast Guard helicopter pulled the body from the water and confirmed the death a few minutes later. On Thursday, the sheriff's office said the body was positively identified as Smith's, and a forensic postmortem exam was scheduled for Friday, including routine toxicology tests. Investigations by the coroner's office and the National Park Service will determine the cause and manner of death.