Registered sex offender accused of pretending to be a high school teen
It’s not the first time Makayla Craig claimed to be a teen to try and enroll in a high school
A 29-year-old registered sex offender is accused of pretending to be a teenage girl to enroll at a Minnesota high school.
Makayla Craig was arrested Thursday after claiming to be a homeless 17-year-old girl named Molly from Oregon while trying to enroll at Maple Grove High School, just outside of Minneapolis, according to charging documents obtained by KARE.
When being interviewed by police, Craig tried to claim that they never attended school but wanted to “get the full experience,” authorities said.
While posing as the teen, the suspect told investigators that they were worried they may get mistaken for Makayla Craig, who is a registered sex offender out of Oregon.
Authorities later confirmed the suspect was Craig and arrested them on a public parking ramp.
“Craig never completed enrollment with Maple Grove Senior High School, and he was never present on campus as a student or in any online classes,” police said in a press release. “The Maple Grove Police Department credits the school district staff for their alertness with the incident, quick action to notify a school resource officer, and collaboration in the investigation.”
“The case remains an active an ongoing investigation,” authorities added.
It’s not the first time Craig claimed to be a homeless teen to try and enroll in high school.
In 2024, Craig was sentenced to 40 days in jail after enrolling in a high school in Oregon as a 15-year-old homeless girl named Madison, KGW reported.
Oregon court records show Craig was previously convicted in 2025 of fraudulent use of a credit card, forgery and false swearing. They were also convicted of sexual assault of a minor in 2023.
A warrant is currently out for Craig’s arrest for an open theft case from May and for failing to appear in court in July.
Craig is currently in the Hennepin County Jail after a judge set bail Friday at $200,000 without conditions, or $100,000 with conditions. Those conditions are having no contact with minor children, staying at least three blocks from schools, having no contact with Maple Grove High School and obeying the law.
Craig is charged with two counts of aggravated forgery and one count of forgery, all felonies. Craig will next appear in court on November 18.