Latest news with #WoodCountyCommonPleasCourtJuvenileDivision
Daily Record
22-05-2025
- Daily Record
Man who posed as pupil to go to school arrested and accused of forgery
Anthony Emmanuel Labrador Sierra was arrested on Monday after he posed as a teenager in January 2024 after a woman revealed he was the father of her child. A 24-year-old man has been arrested for pretending to be a 16-year-old high school student. Anthony Emmanuel Labrador Sierra was arrested on Monday after he posed as a teenager in January 2024 after a woman revealed he was the father of her child. According to a police report, he had contacted Perrysburg Schools in Ohio November 2023, wanting to enroll as a student, claiming that "he had been homeless and was an immigrant from Venezuela." He also told the school that he was a victim of human trafficking, police said. When he met with the school to begin the enrolment process, Labrador presented a birth certificate from the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela with a birthdate of Dec 2, 2007, police said. At the time, he told the school he was staying at an address in Toledo, and he started as a student on Jan. 19, 2024. Kathy and Brad Melfred, who had housed exchange students in the past and had adoptive children, were contacted about Labrador. The Melfreds agreed to assist Labrador and he began residing with them on March 21, 2024, police said. The couple was granted permanent guardianship over Labrador through the Wood County Common Pleas Court Juvenile Division and they also assisted him in getting a social security number and an Ohio driver's license, police said. Then on May 14, the Melfreds were contacted by a woman, Evelyn Camacho, who stated that Labrador was "actually a 24-year-old and he was the father of her child," police said. Camacho sent the Melfreds a picture of Labrador's driver's license with a birthdate of March 27, 2001, along with Facebook pictures of her with Labrador and a small child, police said. Police said they reached out to the United States Border Patrol for assistance in the investigation, who advised that Labrador had an actual birthdate of March 27, 2001, an expired work visa and was considered "an overstay in this country." Officials said his work visa expired the same year he reached out to Perrysburg Schools to enrol. On Monday at 4.15pm., Labrador was arrested after he was located riding in a vehicle on Interstate 75 and was booked on forgery charges, police said in a statement. Labrador was also a member of the junior varsity soccer and swim teams at the high school, and the district has reported the situation to the Ohio High School Athletic Association. The suspect remains in custody at the Wood County Jail and his next court date is scheduled for May 29, according to jail records. It is unclear if Labrador has an attorney who can speak on his behalf. Labrador's case has striking similarities with the case of Brian McKinnon who was in his 30s when he managed to enrol in a Glasgow school and posed as a teenager for two years. The notorious imposter enrolled at Bearsden Academy in 1993, giving himself a new identity as a Canadian called Brandon Lee and putting on an accent to make his story more plausible. Brian was 30 at the time and he gained five top marks in his Highers gaining him a place as Dundee University to study medicine. But soon after his deception was rumbled as someone told the education authorities and leaked the story to the press. The Scot made international headlines. "I was never trying to recreate my original schooldays," he later recalled. "I was popular enough the first time and got very good grades but I didn't really enjoy my last two years at school. "Work moved slowly and I had been unable to do one of the subjects I wanted to do. When I went back as Brandon Lee I wasn't trying to be popular." As well as focusing on his studies second time around, he also took part in extra-curricular activities. He was in the football team and even had a starring role in the school production of South Pacific. The remarkable story of how Brian deceived classmates and teachers became a documentary film called My Old School featuring Alan Cumming as Brian.
Global News
21-05-2025
- Global News
Man who posed as teenager attended Ohio school for a year undetected
A 24-year-old man has been arrested for posing as a 16-year-old student and enrolling in a high school in Ohio, according to the City of Perrysburg police. Anthony Emmanuel Labrador Sierra was arrested on Monday for pretending to be a teenager and attending Perrysburg High School beginning in January 2024, a case the school said was 'highly unusual.' According to a police report, the suspect had reached out to several schools in the Perrysburg area in November 2023 to enrol as a student, telling admissions personnel that he had experienced homelessness and was a Venezuelan immigrant. He also claimed he was a human trafficking victim, police said. According to ABC News, when Labrador first met with the school to enrol, he presented a Venezuelan birth certificate showing his date of birth as Dec. 2, 2007. He informed the school that he was residing at an address in Toledo and started as a student on Jan. 19, 2024, police said. Story continues below advertisement Kathy and Brad Melfred, a couple in the area who had previously housed foreign exchange students and had adopted children, agreed to help Labrador. He began living with them on March 21, 2024, according to police. The Melfreds became Labrador's permanent guardians through the Wood County Common Pleas Court Juvenile Division and also helped him obtain a social security number and a driver's licence. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy On May 14, the couple received a call from a woman named Evelyn Camacho, who informed them that Labrador was a 24-year-old man and the father of her child, police said. Camacho sent the Melfreds a photograph of Labrador's driver's licence, which had a birth date of March 27, 2001. She also provided Facebook photos of her and Labrador with a young child. According to the Perrysburg school district, on May 15, administrators met with Labrador to address the claims. Story continues below advertisement He denied the allegations and asserted that the birth certificate he had provided during his enrolment was accurate; nonetheless, given the seriousness of the accusations, he was escorted off school property and instructed not to return, the school district wrote in a statement on Tuesday. Police said they contacted U.S. border services to assist in the investigation and that agents confirmed that Labrador's actual birth date was March 27, 2001 — the same as the one on the licence presented to the Melfreds by Camacho. The search also revealed that he was in the U.S. on an expired work visa and was considered an 'overstay' in the country, police said, adding that his work visa expired the same year he reached out to schools in Perrysburg. Labrador was arrested at 4:15 p.m. on Monday on forgery charges, police confirmed. The suspect, who at the time of his arrest had attended the school for over a year, was on the junior varsity soccer and swimming teams, which have since reported the incident to the Ohio High School Athletic Association. The school district said the turn of events was 'heartbreaking' after the community acted in 'good faith' to care for a person they believed needed it. 'Staff and local families offered support to someone they believed was a vulnerable teen. Their compassion reflects the best of our community. Though trust was violated, we remain proud of those who chose to help,' the statement said, before reiterating that the safety of the student body was the district's 'top priority.' Story continues below advertisement Labrador is in custody at Wood County Jail with a court date set for May 29. It is unknown if he has obtained a lawyer.
20-05-2025
24-year-old man arrested after posing as 16-year-old high school student: Police
A 24-year-old Venezuelan man was arrested for pretending to be a 16-year-old high school student in Ohio, according to the City of Perrysburg Police. Anthony Emmanuel Labrador Sierra was arrested on Monday after he posed as a teenager in January 2024, police said. According to a police report, Labrador had contacted Perrysburg Schools in November 2023, wanting to enroll as a student, claiming that "he had been homeless and was an immigrant from Venezuela." He also told the school that he was a victim of human trafficking, police said. When he met with the school to begin the enrollment process, Labrador presented a birth certificate from the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela with a birthdate of Dec. 2, 2007, police said. At the time, he told the school he was staying at an address in Toledo, and he started as a student on Jan. 19, 2024. Kathy and Brad Melfred, who had housed exchange students in the past and had adoptive children, were contacted about Labrador. The Melfreds agreed to assist Labrador and he began residing with them on March 21, 2024, police said. The couple was granted permanent guardianship over Labrador through the Wood County Common Pleas Court Juvenile Division and they also assisted him in getting a social security number and an Ohio driver's license, police said. Then on May 14, the Melfreds were contacted by a woman, Evelyn Camacho, who stated that Labrador was "actually a 24-year-old and he was the father of her child," police said. Camacho sent the Melfreds a picture of Labrador's driver's license with a birthdate of March 27, 2001, along with Facebook pictures of her with Labrador and a small child, police said. Police said they reached out to the United States Border Patrol for assistance in the investigation, who advised that Labrador had an actual birthdate of March 27, 2001, an expired work visa and was considered "an overstay in this country." Officials said his work visa expired the same year he reached out to Perrysburg Schools to enroll. On Monday at 4:15 p.m., Labrador was arrested after he was located riding in a vehicle on Interstate 75 and was booked on forgery charges, police said in a statement. Labrador was also a member of the junior varsity soccer and swim teams at the high school, and the district has reported the situation to the Ohio High School Athletic Association. The suspect remains in custody at the Wood County Jail and his next court date is scheduled for May 29, according to jail records. It is unclear if Labrador has an attorney who can speak on his behalf.
