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RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. – The Los Osos High School and California State University-Riverside band instructor took his own life only hours after finding out about an investigation, school district officials said.

The Superintendent Mat Holton from the Chaffey Joint Union High School District said in a news release that there was an investigation into allegations made involving Dr. Sam Andress. The allegations were brought to the attention of the school administration, then the school resource officer on Tuesday, April 9, 2019. The allegations included information about

communication with a student via social media.

On April 10, 2019, the information was presented to Mr. Andress, who has taught with the district since 2001 and after he explained that he thought that he was communicating with an adult on social media, he resigned. The school shared the news of his departure via email and implied that there was some type of investigation.Mr. Andress was escorted from the campus and returned to his home in the 8200 block of Leucite Avenue in the City of Rancho Cucamonga.

At 6:11 p.m., Sheriff dispatch received a call reporting a deceased male at his home, which was identified as Dr. Sam Andress. “Later that afternoon, the district received a call from a law enforcement representative tragically sharing that Dr. Andress had taken his life.” Authorities said that Mr. Andress was cleared of any crime.

The loss of an instructor who poured his heart out into his music and his students caused for mourning throughout the Los Osos High School Campus and community. He touched the lives of many students and their parents. The students held a memorial for Dr. Andress on the evening of Thursday, April 11, 2019. “He built the Los Osos Regiment and band program from nothing,” said past student Melissa Leffingwell on Facebook. “He brought together so many people. I cannot begin to imagine my high school years without him.”