The Texas mom who disguised herself as a teenager in order to sneak into her daughter’s school has been convicted of trespassing — but she won’t spend any time behind bars.
As Law&Crime previously reported, Casey Garcia was arrested in June 2021 after posting video of herself posing as her 13-year-old daughter and sneaking into the girl’s school. She said she did it as a “social experiment” and to highlight security gaps at schools amid mass shootings.
At the time, Garcia was 30 years old; her daughter was 13.
Left: Casey Garcia after having snuck into her teenage daughter’s school (via her YouTube account). Right: Casey Garcia (booking photo via El Paso (Tex.) County Sheriff’s Office).
A jury convicted Garcia earlier this week, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office announced on Facebook.
“On Wednesday, November 15th, 2023, Casey was on trial, and the Jury deliberated a guilty verdict, with a sentence of 6 months probation, 100 hours of community service, and a $700 probated fine,” the announcement said.
The sheriff’s office described Garcia’s offense:
In 2021, El Paso County Sheriff’s Detectives assigned to the Peter John Herrera Patrol Station responded to a criminal trespass report at San Elizario Middle School. Detectives met with school administration, who informed them that 30-year-old Casey Garcia posed as her 13-year-old daughter and attended several classes throughout the school day. Garcia posted her trespassing on TikTok’s social media platform, citing that she was trying to make a point by proving the ease with which an adult could enter the campus. Detectives later obtained a warrant of arrest for Garcia for criminal trespass.
At the time, a YouTube account showed video in which Garcia — wearing glasses, a yellow Marvel hoodie, and face mask — described herself entering her daughter’s school.
“Do I look like a seventh grader?” said Garcia, standing at 4’11” and weighing 105 pounds, according to jail records reviewed by Law&Crime. “No? Cool. Awesome.”
Video showed her saying hello to an adult described by superimposed text as the principal of the school. She was also seen receiving directions, showing up to class, and sitting down, as well as participating in a gym class. She said the coach asked her who she was, and that the coach believed her when she gave her daughter’s name.
She also recorded herself eating lunch while maskless.
In a video, Garcia said she was only caught after seven periods when a teacher confronted her after class.
She was initially booked on a count of criminal trespass, tampering with government records, and a lingering traffic matter from 2017, according to court records.
Theresa Caballero, an attorney representing Garcia, said she was glad Garcia avoided a prison sentence, but that she should never have been convicted at all, because her goal was to make a point about school safety, according to The Washington Post.
“Clearly, trespassing on school grounds — and nobody was harmed by it — is less harmful than the harm you’re trying to avoid, which is a school shooting,” Caballero told the newspaper.
Law&Crime’s Alberto Luperon contributed to this report.
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