28-year-old arrested for allegedly posing as high schooler

Louisiana authorities have arrested a 28-year-old woman and her mother over the younger individual's fraudulent enrollment in a local high school in Boutte.

Martha Jessenia Gutierrez-Serrano, with the aid of her mother, Marta Elizeth Serrano-Alvarado, 46, allegedly used a fake passport and birth certificate to enroll herself in Hahnville High School in St. Charles Parish, according to a statement from local law enforcement.

The St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office arrested the pair on Tuesday after receiving a tip from the school district about a possible adult attending the school.

"School Administration received a tip that a female student, who was on record as being 17 years old, was in fact an adult possibly in her mid 20’s," the statement reads. "School Administration began an internal investigation and later notified the Sheriff’s Office of their findings."

It remains unclear for how long Gutierrez-Serrano was able to attend the school. Both were charged this week with injuring public records and face up to five years in prison along with fines, if convicted.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.