Woman accused of helping 26-year-old man pose as Lincoln high school student

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – A woman pretended to be the mother of a 26-year-old man posing as a Lincoln high school student, police say.

Angela Navarro, 22, was arrested Friday on suspicion of helping Zachary Scheich, who is accused of several felony charges, including first-degree sexual assault.

In her arraignment on Friday, Navarro’s lawyer said she was another victim.

“She surrendered herself to jail this morning, and she’s been in contact with law enforcement,” Carlos Morales said. “I believe Miss Navarro is actually a victim of coercion under duress of Zachary.”

Scheich, who went under the pseudonym Zak Hess, attended 54 days of class at Northwest and Southeast high schools last semester.

Police said Navarro pretended to be Scheich’s mother and helped him register for classes.  An arrest affidavit says she went by the name of Danielle Hess.

Navarro was arrested on suspicion of criminal impersonation.

In an arrest affidavit, Officer Ben Pflanz wrote that Scheich created “false documents and an elaborate backstory” to attend school.

Scheich was found to have messaged female students, police said.

In some text messages, Scheich would “discuss things like classwork and high school sports,” according to the affidavit.

In other messages, Scheich asked for “pornographic material” from a student whom he had previously paid, the affidavit alleges.

In a statement, Lincoln Public Schools said in part, “We are thankful for Lincoln Police and their continued efforts in fully investigating this case and bringing the individuals involved to justice. We know more information about this case will continue to be released through the course of the investigation as it is uncovered.”

The district has also trained staff on how to confirm information provided to them by students coming from outside of LPS.

A judge set Navarro’s bond at $5,000, and she’ll return to court on Oct. 25.

Scheich is facing nine felony charges. His case has been moved to district court, where he has pleaded not guilty.