The St. Charles Parish Sheriff reported on Wednesday that a 28-year-old illegal immigrant from Honduras enrolled in a Louisiana high school for a full school year, while presenting false identification to pass as a 17-year-old.
Martha Jessenia Gutierrez-Serrano arrived in the United States in the fall of 2021 to reside with her parent, Marta Serrano-Alvarado, 46, who was in the United States on an expired visa.
ABC News reported that Serrano-Alvarado made use of a forged birth certificate and passport to get into Gutierrez-Serrano at Hahnville High School in Boutte, approximately 30 miles west of New Orleans.
Sheriff Greg Champagne stated a birth certificate from Honduras indicating the person in question was 17 was provided.
He continued by saying the school district conducted a preliminary investigation and found the student was overage and it was highly likely the certificate of birth was fake. This happened just a day and a half after receiving an anonymous tip.
Four days after the school year ended, the school district received a tip suggesting a student who claimed to be 17 years old might be in her mid-20s.
As a result, the district launched an internal investigation. Champagne stated he viewed a photograph of the 28-year-old woman obtained by the U.S. government before her release into the country and she had the potential to be mistaken for a teenager.
According to the sheriff, Gutierrez-Serrano enrolled in the school for the entire 2022-2023 school year to study English.
Champagne stated she was in school, completed her schoolwork, minded her own business, and did not cause any disturbance. All she wanted was to study English.
Both Gutierrez-Serrano and her mother were detained and charged with tampering with public records.
Sadly, the sheriff stated submitting a forged document to the authorities was bad judgment, regardless of whether it was her choice or her mother’s.
The school district stated in a press release it would enhance protocols to determine the legitimacy of enrollment papers for current and future students, as well as modify policies and procedures as necessary.