By London Bishop
Dayton Daily News, Ohio
DAYTON, Ohio — A Fairborn man is in the Greene County Jail on counts of attempted kidnapping and felonious assault after an incident involving a kindergartner at St. Brigid Catholic School in Xenia.
Reid C. Duran, 35, is alleged to have entered St. Brigid around 6:24 p.m. Monday during an open house. Duran began asking families about their children, and after he was confronted by school administrators claimed to be the parent of one of the students, a 5-year-old girl, according to a Xenia Police Division report. Duran then spoke with the little girl in one of the classrooms. The girl’s real parents, after seeing Duran asking questions of their daughter, called 911.
When officers arrived, Duran “made some concerning comments” about his reasons for being there, according to police. He initially told them that he was trying to go to Kettering Health — Greene Memorial, but later admitted he went to St. Brigid to “talk to little kids,” according to the police report.
Duran came to the Xenia Police Division to speak with detectives about his behavior at St. Brigid, but while waiting to be interviewed, he attempted to stab a Xenia police officer with a pen, according to police. The officer defended himself and took Duran into custody without injury to either one of them.
Police said that during the interview, Duran admitted that he went to the St. Brigid School to kidnap one of the children attending the open house. He later attempted to escape police and had to be restrained, according to Xenia police.
Xenia police said that Duran also told them he planned to give a child candy laced with tranquilizers. However, they said he did not give candy to any child at the event and police have been unable to verify yet that the candy he had on him had any sort of drug on it.
Police said Duran was never alone with the 5-year-old girl and that there were people in the kindergarten classroom and the rest of the building.
Duran was formally charged Tuesday in Xenia Municipal Court with felonious assault, a first-degree felony, attempted kidnapping and escape, both second-degree felonies, and criminal trespass, a fourth-degree misdemeanor.
He is being held without bond in the Greene County Jail without bond.
Xenia police did not immediately confirm whether they had conducted a search warrant of Duran’s Fairborn home.
Xenia police are asking anyone with information regarding this incident to call the Xenia Police Division Criminal Investigation Section at 937-376-7206 or leave a voicemail at the Xenia Police Tip Line at 937-347-1623.
Terry Adkins, principal of St. Brigid school, called student safety an issue of “paramount” importance, and said that no students or adults were harmed Monday.
“I am pleased with the decisive manner in which we handled this issue,” Adkins said. “We will continue to cooperate with the Xenia police as they conduct their investigation.”
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(c)2022 the Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio)