Hyejeong Shin: NJ woman, 29, arrested for giving false age document to enroll in high school as freshman
NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY: An adult woman has been arrested after fraudulently enrolling as a student in a New Jersey high school and attending classes for nearly a week. Hyejeong Shin, 29, is accused of impersonating a minor and providing a false government document that verifies one's identity or age. While the purpose of the alleged deceptions is still unclear, the incident has enraged the students and families of the local high school.
According to a press release from the New Brunswick Police Department, Shin "provided a false birth certificate" to the local Board of Education "with the intent to enroll as a juvenile" at the high school. Superintendent Dr Aubrey Johnson further revealed that the 29-year-old woman "attended school for four days," and the community members “are concerned about her motives,” during the district's meeting held on Tuesday, January 24. He added that Shin took "a few classes," but, was mostly kept occupied by the guidance department as they attempted to learn more about her background.
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Breaking news: An adult woman was arrested after posing as a child and providing fake documents to enroll in New Brunswick High School last week, @aubjohnson111 announced tonight.
— Charlie Kratovil (@Charlie4Change) January 25, 2023
She attended the school for four days and community members are concerned about her motives. pic.twitter.com/BLOwgFeyss
According to NBC News, Shin identified herself as a 15-year-old to the school officials but was kept under suspicion as the identity of her legal guardians was unclear. Her fraudulent activity was reportedly uncovered when she tried to sign herself out for the day but was prevented from doing so for being a minor. Frustrated by the circumstance, Shin allegedly revealed that she is actually 29, as per the news outlet.
Johnson declared that Shin is now prohibited from entering the district's properties. She was charged with one count of providing a false government document with the intent to verify one's identity or age, after police said she provided a false birth certificate, according to the news outlet. However, much information about the case has not been out yet, including the date of Shin's arrest and her current custodial status.
Some of the students even told CBS News and New Brunswick Today that they got text messages from the woman asking to hang out. "Some of the girls I know, the girl did ask them to hang out at Commercial Avenue, but they never showed up, and she started acting weird with them," one student said. "It's scary because you never know what could happen."
A student named Tatianna came forward to share their interaction with the adult woman. "I was in class with this woman, and talked to her, walked her from point A to point B, and never expected this to happen," she told New Brunswick Today. "Not knowing she was a 29-year-old woman makes me question how safe I am in this building," the student added, saying she has shared her phone number with Shin and now feels she was "taken advantage of." According to People, the reports suggest that the woman was attempting to "lure kids to a specific street."
Footage submitted to CBS New York shows hundreds of students protesting in the hallways of their school following the incident.