An adult woman was arrested in Louisiana after she allegedly posed as a teen and enrolled in a high school.
The 28-year-old woman enrolled at Hahnville High School and attended classes during the most recent school year, the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office said. The school is located in Boutte, a small town about 25 miles west of New Orleans.
Martha Jessenia Gutierrez-Serrano was arrested Tuesday and charged with one count of injuring public records. Marta Elizabeth Serrano-Alvarado, the woman’s 46-year-old mother was also arrested and charged.
St. Charles Parish School System administrators began investigating after receiving a tip that a 17-year-old student was older than she claimed, the school system said in a statement.
The school reached out to police, who determined that Alvarado used a fake passport and birth certificate to register her daughter at the school.
Officials did not indicate whether Gutierrez-Serrano is suspected of committing any other crimes during the school year. No motive for her fraudulent attendance was given either. It’s unknown how long she attended classes.
“The school system will enhance processes to determine the authenticity of enrollment documents for current and future students as well as modify policy and procedures as warranted,” the statement added. “As this is an ongoing investigation conducted by the Sheriff’s Office, no further information or specifics may be shared at this time.”
Both women face prison time and fines if convicted.
Earlier this year, a 29-year-old woman was arrested for posing as a high schooler in New Brunswick, N.J. She attended classes for four days and later entered a pretrial intervention program.