Contrasting Portraits of Suspect Emerge in High School Steroid-Smuggling Probe

In the three weeks since police began investigating allegations of steroid peddling at Carlsbad High School, two portraits of the 31-year-old teacher’s aide under suspicion have emerged.

Under one, Gregory Thomas Tirona supplied steroids to three 16-year-old students at the school and to as many as six students since fall, according to court papers filed last week in Vista Municipal Court.

The picture painted by his family is different. Older sister Angie says he is caught in a quagmire that has “stunned him, too,” and has rocked the close family, even though Tirona has not been charged or arrested.

‘Hangs Over Your Head’

“It’s definitely been a mental burden on us,” Chris Tirona said Tuesday. Chris, at 24, is the youngest of the eight brothers and sisters, who range in age to 40. “It’s like something that hangs over your head and you hope the clouds clear.”

Carlsbad police began their investigation May 3 into allegations that Tirona sold steroids at the high school. According to an affidavit filed by authorities in support of a search of the family’s house last week, three 16-year-old students said they bought steroids from Tirona on campus from October to December.

A fourth student, also 16, told police he saw an unidentified student buy what he believed were steroids and hypodermic syringes on the morning of May 8 at the school from a person identified as Tirona, the affidavit says.

The document, signed by police Sgt. Matthew Matney, alleges that a student told a detective he purchased two vials of what he believed to be anabolic steroids from Tirona in October and November.

‘It’s Senseless’

The two vials were turned over to police by the youth and were found to contain testosterone cypionate, a controlled substance, the affidavit says. Also turned over were six hypodermic syringes, it says.

Still, no arrest has been made, and police continue their investigation.

“I would like for this whole thing to be resolved,” said Angie Tirona, 34. “I don’t know what the police are doing. . . . It’s senseless to drag it on.”

Lt. Don Lewis said controlled-substance investigations are usually lengthy.

Last week, detectives forced their way into the family’s home and two cottages behind it, but failed to find any steroids or paraphernalia such as syringes or needles.

Tirona himself has remained silent on the allegations, except to say that he is innocent. His attorney said Tuesday that Tirona will submit to a drug test.

“He wants to show he’s not using them or involved with them,” attorney Craig Griswold said. “He’s squeaky-clean.”

Griswold also refused to comment further on the allegations in the affidavit. “We don’t have police reports or witnesses’ statements and wouldn’t know what we are fully responding to. It’s better at this time not to say anything.”

In the meantime, Tirona’s family expressed hope that the case will be behind them soon. If Tirona is charged, they said, they will support him.

“We don’t want sympathy, just our respect back,” Chris Tirona said. “We’ve got a lot of strong ties in this community. . . . We’ve built up a good reputation.”