Police: 29-year-old woman faces charges for posing as teen at New Brunswick HS

A woman posed as a teenager and attended classes at New Brunswick High School where she went undetected for four days, according to the superintendent.

News 12 Staff

Jan 25, 2023, 5:29 PM

Updated 684 days ago

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Police say a 29-year-old woman is facing charges for posing as a teenager at New Brunswick High School.
Hyejeong Shin was arrested last week. District officials say she filed false documents to enroll as a student.
It was unclear why Shin allegedly wanted to enroll in the school, but the students say that she was there for four days and went to class with the students.
“To know that a person with that intention was that close to me is even scarier,” says sophomore Rihanna Colon.
Colon, 16, joined one of two protests on campus Wednesday to demand answers and to call for better school security. The demonstrators claimed there are other issues in the school, such as fights, that cause safety concerns.
“I want to see the school make a change. They simply ignore everything, sweep it under rug for their reputation,” says Colon.
New Brunswick Schools Superintendent Dr. Aubrey Johnson addressed the matter at Tuesday night’s school board meeting.
“All appropriate authorities were notified, and the individual in question has been arrested for providing false documentation,” Johnson said.
Some parents and students say they are still concerned because they don’t know why Shin was there.
“It happened last week and that’s concerning. As parents, we are the last ones to know what’s going on, and we should be the first ones,” says mother Yaritza Arroyo. “Our children are in school and we send them there hoping and praying that they are safe - and they aren't."
Shin was charged with providing a false government document – in this case a birth certificate.
New Brunswick police say the New Jersey Department of Education requires schools to immediately enroll unaccompanied children “even in the absence of records normally required for enrollment.”