Man, 24, arrested after pretending to be a 16-year-old high school student

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 back in January 2024, police confirmed.

According to a police report — Labrador had contacted Perrysburg Schools in November 2023, wanting to enroll as a student. Labrador claimed that "he had been homeless and was an immigrant from Venezuela." He also informed the school that he was a victim of human trafficking, said police.

When he met with school officials to begin the enrollment process — Labrador presented a birth certificate from the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela with a birthdate of December 2, 2007 according to police. At the time, he told officials he was staying at an address in Toledo, and he started at the school as a student on Jan. 19, 2024.

A couple named Kathy and Brad Melfred had housed exchange students in the past and had adoptive children were contacted to help shelter Labrador. The Melfreds agreed to assist Labrador and he began residing with them on March 21, 2024, police confirmed.

The pair was granted permanent guardianship over Labrador through the Wood County Common Pleas Court Juvenile Division. They assisted him in getting a social security number and an Ohio driver's license according to reports from The ABC.

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 some Facebook pictures of her with Labrador and a small child.

Police said they contacted the United States Border Patrol for assistance in the investigation.The federal department advised police that Labrador had an actual birthdate of March 27, 2001 — an expired work visa and was considered "an overstay in this country."

Authorities said Labrador's work visa expired the same year he reached out to Perrysburg Schools to enroll.

On Monday at 4:15pm, the Venezuelan was arrested after he was found riding in a vehicle on Interstate 75. He was then booked on forgery charges, police said in a statement.

It was discovered that Labrador was also a member of the junior varsity soccer and swim teams at the high school — and the district 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.