An 18-year-old South Korean native visiting metro Atlanta on a tourist visa is facing charges just days after being prohibited from school campuses in Gwinnett and Hall counties. 

Dongha Lee was taken into custody on Wednesday afternoon at a residence in Flowery Branch, as reported by WSBTV. He is currently being held at the Hall County Jail under an immigration hold and a misdemeanor charge from Gwinnett County School Police. He was charged with “failure of unauthorized person to check in at designated location upon entering school,” according to an arrest warrant.

An incident report indicates that Lee unlawfully entered Seckinger High School on February 28 when a student opened a side door, evading standard security measures. On Monday school officials at Seckinger High School sent an urgent letter to parents warning about an individual reaching out to students via social media and inviting them to meet in person.

By Tuesday, both Gwinnett County School Police and Hall County Sheriff’s deputies had issued criminal trespass warnings against him after he attempted to enroll at West Hall High School. Hall County School officials stated that he lacked the necessary paperwork and was not of the correct age.

Lee spoke with Channel 2 Gwinnett County Bureau Chief Matt Johnson on Wednesday, asserting that his presence at Seckinger High School last week was legitimate, claiming that unidentified parents had allowed him in and that staff had given him a visitor’s badge. “I just wanted to make friends,” he said before his arrest. “I didn’t do anything illegal to them.”

#Clique, what are your thoughts?