A 22-year-old man remains behind bars on charges of posing as a high school student, according to the Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office.

Elias Gandara Garcia was arrested Friday after the Monte Alto Independent School District received information that he was posing as a 16-year-old student at a high school in the district, according to a news release.

Investigators with the sheriff's office spoke with Garcia who claimed to be 16, but he was identified as a 22-year-old male due to a prior arrest, the sheriff's office stated in a news release.

Jail records indicate Garcia was arrested in May 2022 on a charge of human smuggling.

In a letter to Monte Alto ISD parents that was obtained by Channel 5 News, the district said Garcia was a transfer student from another district whose guardian provided the required registration documentation.

Court records indicate Garcia was charged with failure to identify and tampering with a government record and remains jailed on a $10,000 bond.

READ THE FULL LETTER FROM MONTE ALTO ISD.

"Monte Alto Independent School District (ISD) would like to address the recent incident involving a transfer student who was found to have misrepresented his age and identity at our high school campus. We understand that this situation has raised concerns among our community members, and we would like to take this opportunity to reassure everyone of our commitment to student safety.

The safety and well-being of our students and staff are the top priorities for Monte Alto ISD. We work closely with local law enforcement agencies to ensure that our schools remain safe and secure learning environments. In this particular case, the District and authorities acted promptly and Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office arrested the individual involved. We can confirm that at no time were any students or staff in danger during this incident.

Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, we are unable to provide further details or comment on the specifics of the case. However, we want to emphasize that the individual is no longer enrolled at our district, and the situation has been resolved.

We will continue to collaborate with law enforcement and other relevant agencies to maintain the safety and security of our campuses. In addition, we have sent notifications to the parents of our High School students to keep them informed about the incident and to address any concerns they may have.

Monte Alto ISD remains dedicated to fostering a safe and supportive learning environment for all of our students. We encourage anyone with concerns to contact the school district or their child's school directly."