SEVERN, Md. — Severna Park resident Marty Lewis said he was drinking his morning coffee during a weekend baseball game for his 11-year-old son, Evan, when coach Juan Palacios-Velazquez walked up and said he thought Evan could one day play Division I baseball, and possibly go pro.
“I almost spit my coffee out,” Lewis said. Evan loved baseball, he said, but of his two sons, Evan was not as good at the sport.
“I laughed and doubted his evaluation of that son,” Lewis said about Evan. “And years later, he is now playing his senior year of D1 baseball.”
On Feb. 26, Palacios-Velazquez, a well-known coach and trainer in the Maryland baseball community, was charged with one count of sexual solicitation of a female minor and two counts of child pornography. He has since been indicted on the three charges.
Anne Arundel County Police say the 55-year-old Severn resident knowingly sent explicit Instagram messages to a 15-year-old girl and had her send him explicit photos of herself.
Palacios-Velazquez did not respond to multiple requests for comment. His lawyer, Robin Henley, also did not respond to requests for comment.
Lewis said Palacios-Velazquez is outgoing, charismatic and good at building relationships and connecting with people.
“He did a good job coaching,” Lewis said. “I never saw him do anything wrong in those days. No radar of mine went off at that point.”
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