Ft. Bend high school senior claims he's kicked out of school for crime he didn't commit

It's a story you’ll only hear on FOX 26. A high school senior with Ft. Bend ISD says he was arrested and kicked out of school for a crime he didn’t commit.

The teen hasn’t been in school since October.  He’s missing his entire senior year despite evidence, he says, proves he’s not a thief.

17-year-old Denzel Ogiemwonyi showed us his timecard from July 10th.  He says he went straight from work to home.  Months later just as he was preparing to try out for his school’s basketball team, Denzel was arrested and taken into custody for burglary.  He says his timecard proves he was at work the time it happened.

“Finally a Ft. Bend County sheriff cop came in he asked me if I knew why I was here, and he told me I had a warrant for my arrest. I thought I was being 'punked' I didn't know what was going on,” Denzel said.

He was suspended and told he needed to go to an alternative school for 45 days.  But when his mom asked for a reason, she realized something wasn’t right based off the explanation the school gave her.

“I went to look up Title 5 and here under Title 5 it says these are offenses against a person include criminal homicide, kidnapping and unlawful restraint ....these are offenses against a person,” Crystal Matthews explained.

She says when she brought it up to FT. Bend ISD’s attention they told her it was up to their discretion.  She says she’s been given a run around.

“He's missed school because you mis-coded him and he was supposed to graduate this year,” Matthews said.

Ft. Bend ISD responded to us with a lengthy email.  In short, it says they can’t speak to the matter and redirected us to the Ft. Bend County DA’s office.  Meanwhile Denzel’s future remains on hold.

“I wanted to go to U of H and I wanted to study mechanical engineering, so I have to do a whole year over again,” Denzel said.

Denzel’s mom says Ridgepoint High School is looking to put him on administrative leave.  She says more than anything she wants a chance to have a discussion with the superintendent.