Francisco Serrano

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the sixteenth century explorer, see Francisco Serrão.

For the Spanish Liberal Statesman, see Francisco Serrano y Domínguez, Duke de la Torre

Francisco Serrano (born 1983) is a Mexican who made headlines in the United States in 2005, after he was found living inside a Minnesota high school.

Serrano attended Apple Valley High School from 2002 to 2003. Then, he and his family moved to Connecticut, where he finished high school. Serrano returned to Minnesota a homeless man, with 200 dollars. He apparently had no set destination when he left Connecticut.

Once in Minnesota, he went to his old high school, a place that was familiar to him. Serrano entered the building and decided to stay there. For sixteen days, he mingled with students, attended some classes and helped set up a theater stand. He also enjoyed the school's library, sports facilities and other amenities. He took showers daily, and used the school's men's restrooms.

Serrano was spotted after hours by a school worker, who asked Serrano to show his school ID card. When the worker noticed that the ID card was old, he notified the school's principal and the local police. Serrano was then arrested, and taken to jail. Apart from being charged with breaking and entering into a building with a false identification card, he was also investigated to find if he is an illegal immigrant, but he apparently possesses a green card.

Serrano seems to have been well liked at Apple Valley High School. Students rallied around him, showing support and sporting t-shirts that read "free Francisco!". High school Junior Ted York said, "He truly is the victim here, I am sick of ignorant students and parents saying we should fear this boy. It's sending the wrong message." Even the school's principal supported Serrano, declaring on national television that Serrano is good, and sending out a reported number of 1,800 e-mails to different parents of Apple Valley High School students. Seventy percent of those parents responded his e-mails with apparent support for Serrano. The thirty percent who responded the principal's e-mails with negative messages mainly expressed concern about the school's security.

After the news broke out that Francisco Serrano had been found inside a high school, he became an instant celebrity in the United States, coming out in many, both serious and tabloid, news shows.

Francisco Serrano was released from jail on bail, with 5,000 dollars paid by a large group of community people, including a man who had been arrested recently himself, and who put a considerable amount of the 5,000 dollars required for Serrano to be sent free. Serrano's trial is pending.

Immigration procedures resulted in an order to leave the US, back to Mexico, where he would be allowed to apply for legal re-entry to the United States. In December, 2005, he was scheduled to fly from Minneapolis back to his home in Mexico City. The event was publicized, and local television news showed video tape of Serrano going through airport security prior to boarding his flight. However, several weeks later it was disclosed that he never boarded the flight, and that his family in Mexico had not heard from him. From February 21, 2006, his whereabouts remained unknown.

He was arrested on March 29th, 2006 in Boston. Serrano was wearing a ski mask, and was armed with a butcher’s knife and a pocket knife. The Boston district attorney said he would prosecute Serrano on a felony charge of breaking and entering. Serrano was quoted as saying "I'm not here to steal, I'm here to kill." He had a court date of April 28th 2006. ^[1]