Mom poses as middle school daughter to test school security

(CNN) - A Texas mother spent the day disguised as a teenager at her daughter’s middle school. She says she wanted to prove a point about the school’s security, but she was later arrested for the effort.

Casey Garcia, 30, dyed her hair, tanned her skin, put on big glasses and a Marvel Comics hoodie and went to Garcia-Enriquez Middle School in San Elizario, Texas, disguised as her 13-year-old daughter, Julie.

“Do I look like a 7th grader? No? Cool. Awesome,” said Garcia in video she recorded.

Mother Casey Garcia, 30, says she disguised herself as her daughter and attended middle school... — Mother Casey Garcia, 30, says she disguised herself as her daughter and attended middle school for a day to prove a point about school security.(Source: Casey Garcia via CNN)

The mother says she did it and filmed herself to make a point: “We need better security at our schools.”

Once inside the school, Garcia gave her daughter’s ID number. She says the principal greeted her in the hallway, she got a compliment on her backpack and people gave her directions. In math class, she filmed herself holding up math notes, and at lunch in the cafeteria, she held up the cheesy dish she was eating.

Though Garcia worried she was going to get caught, no one seemed to notice anything was wrong – until the very last period of the day when a teacher asked her to stay after class.

“She looked at me, and she’s like, ‘You’re not Julie,’” Garcia said. “I took off my mask. I took off my glasses, and I said, ‘No, I’m not Julie. I’m Julie’s mom.’”

She says the teacher asked her why she did it, and Garcia called it “a social experiment.”

Within days of the incident, police arrived at Garcia’s home to arrest her on charges of criminal trespass and tampering with government records. She was released the same day on bond.

Garcia’s lawyer says she proved “any Tom, Dick or Harry can walk into a public school and spend an entire day going undetected.”

Within days of the incident, police arrested Garcia on charges of criminal trespass and... — Within days of the incident, police arrested Garcia on charges of criminal trespass and tampering with government records.(Source: El Paso County Sheriff's Office via CNN)

“I stayed because look, no one noticed I was there. That is a problem,” Garcia said.

After the incident, the superintendent of the San Elizario School District put out a statement to parents acknowledging “there was a breach in security” and “our security measures are being reviewed and evaluated.”