A woman from Nebraska, who is accused of aiding a 27-year-old man in pretending to be a high school student, leading to alleged sexual assaults on multiple children, has declared her innocence and been released from jail after paying bail.
Angela Navarro, 23, was taken into custody on September 29, 2023, for allegedly acting as the mother of Zachary Scheich to help him get into Lincoln Public Schools. according to KOLN. Scheich was arrested in July and charged with sexual assault and sex trafficking after spending 54 days posing as a 17-year-old student, as CrimeOnline reported.
Scheich, who graduated from Lincoln Southeast High School in 2015, enrolled at his old school and at Lincoln Northwest in the 2022-2023 school year as “Zak Hess.” Prosecutors said Navarro used the name “Danielle Hess,” posing as Scheich’s mother and working with schools staff to enroll him.
Lincoln police were tipped the the deception on June 1 and launched an investigation, contacting Navarro on that date, when she insisted they were Danielle and Zak Hess.
Navarro has been charged with a single county of criminal impersonation and bonded out of jail on Friday after entering her not guilty plea on Wednesday.
Scheich faces nine felony charges and is due in court for a hearing on May 16.
[Featured image: Zachary Scheich and Angela Navarro/police handout]