Texas mom ‘testing’ school security arrested after pretending to be 13-year-old daughter
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The Texas mother who posted a video of herself sneaking into her daughter’s middle school to test campus security was arrested on Friday, according to El Paso County jail records.
Casey Garcia, who recorded herself disguised as her daughter at Garcia Enriquez Middle School in San Elizario, uploaded a video of her arrest to her YouTube account. She now faces charges including criminal trespass and tampering with government records.
The video published on Thursday showed Garcia going to different classes unnoticed by school administrators. At the end of the day, she turned herself in to the principal after a teacher noticed she was not a student.
In the roughly four-minute clip, Garcia carries her phone with her as she walks out to greet El Paso County Sheriff’s Office deputies, who are waiting by the gate of her home.
“I’m just letting you know that I am recording,” Garcia is heard telling the officers.
“That’s OK, ma’am, so are we,” one of the deputies replies.
In the video, Garcia tells the deputies several times that she is not resisting arrest.
San Elizario Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Jeannie Meza-Chavez told KTSM the district is reviewing and evaluating its security measures.
“While there was a breach in security by an individual associated as a parent with the school … we want to assure you that our security measures are being reviewed and evaluated,” Meza-Chavez said.
After being released from custody Friday, Garcia sent KTSM a statement:
I spent the day in police custody, but my question still remains: Are our children safe in our schools, Jeannie Meza-Chavez?”
Casey Garcia statement to KTSM
Meza-Chavez declined an interview with NewsNation affilate KTSM on Friday but said, “At this time, the issue is being handled by local authorities.”