XENIA, Ohio (WDTN) — A Fairborn man is facing several charges after attempting to kidnap a child from a Xenia school open house and attacking a police officer.
According to the Xenia Police Department, 35-year-old Reid Duran walked into the St. Brigid School in Xenia during an Open House event on Monday, claiming to be the parent of one of the children there. According to the police report, Duran had gotten ahold of two kids’ books as well as school paperwork for the parents to fill out.
St. Brigid School Principal Terry Adkins told 2 NEWS he was the first to see Duran enter the school and noticed something was off. Adkins said he immediately called police when the child’s real parents entered the building.
“I know almost everybody here except for the brand new parents,” Adkins said. “That’s the only reason he got as far as he did, but I was very aware, and made sure he was who he said he was.”
Xenia Police said that Duran made “concerning comments” during the investigation, including admitting that he was there to kidnap one of the children.
“This is a unique experience,” Sgt. Lon Etchison with the Xenia Police Division Detective Section said. “You know, I’ve been in law enforcement for 27 years and this is the first time I’ve dealt with something like this.”
Officers asked Duran to come to the police department to speak to the Detectives. While waiting to be interviewed, Duran grabbed a pen and violently lunged at the officer there, aiming for his neck and face. The officer quickly defended themself and took Duran to the ground. Duran was placed under arrest and was handcuffed for the remainder of the interview.
Duran told police he attended the open house with the intent to kidnap one of the children at the event for sexual favors, and that he had seen the photo and name of a child who he was planning to take next to the door of the kindergarten classroom. Duran told police he planned to give the child Starburst candy with a tranquilizer before removing the passed-out victim from the school.
Information released by Xenia Police Wednesday states there was no verification that candy found on Duran at the time was laced with any drug. There also is no evidence at this time that Duran knew or stalked the girl or her family before the incident.
According to the Statement of Facts submitted to the court, Duran said this was not the first incident of this kind. In the statement, Detective Chris Reed says Duran claimed a similar school incident happened in another city, and that he prefers children between the ages of 5-13 years old. Reed also said Duran admitted to possessing child pornography on his computer.
After the interview, Duran tried to escape the room, forcing officers to once again physically restrain him. He is now being held at the Greene County Jail.
On Tuesday, August 23, Duran was charged with attempted kidnapping, felonious assault, and escape. He remains at the Greene County Jail without bond.
Adkins said schools everywhere are on high alert following recent national events, which is why the safety and security of his nearly 250 students is top priority.
“We train for who knows what is going to happen,” Adkins said. “It’s a very safe, secure, small community and our doors are always locked. Our doors were not locked because it was open house, but that’s why I was in the lobby looking at everybody that came in the door.”
Sgt. Etchison said this is still an ongoing investigation with days and weeks of work ahead.
“The arrests with all we made was just the tip of the iceberg,” Etchison said. “Obviously, there’s a lot of questions that people have. We’re going to do everything we can to find answers for that.”
Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Xenia Police Division Criminal Division at (937) 376-7206 or leave a voicemail at the Xenia Police Tip Line at (937) 347-1623.
