Man charged with trying to kidnap a child from a school in Buffalo, New York

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — An Illinois man tried to kidnap a student from a school in Buffalo, New York, and fled after punching and shoving an employee who confronted him, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Shane Cronin, 30, of Lombard, Illinois, was arrested a short time later near the school. He pleaded not guilty Wednesday to attempted kidnapping, burglary, attempted assault and other charges, and was ordered to be held without bail.

Cronin entered the Dr. Charles R. Drew Science Magnet school without permission Feb. 11 and approached two children he did not know in a hallway, authorities said. He was attempting to lure and abduct one of them when a school employee saw him and directed him to leave, District Attorney Michael Keane said.

Cronin punched the employee and shoved her to the ground before a security guard intervened and Cronin ran from the building, the prosecutor said.

The school is adjacent to the Buffalo Museum of Science. Cronin’s attorney said his client may have been in the midst of a severe mental health crisis when he legally entered the science museum and from there “was somehow able to gain access to” the attached school.

“By all accounts, most of the employees did what they were supposed to do upon making contact with any person not authorized to be on the school premises,” attorney Daniel DuBois said in an email. Cronin didn’t have any tools or weapons on him or in his vehicle, which was searched by police, DuBois said.

A spokesman for Buffalo Public Schools did not immediately respond to questions about how the intruder gained access to the school and what security protocols may have been breached. The school includes students in grades three through eight.

The Buffalo Board of Education last month authorized an independent investigation after a veteran Buffalo police detective discussed the case on an April 26 podcast and accused the district of cover-ups.

Keane said he is aware of the detective’s comments.

“My office has been conducting an investigation. We are committed to upholding the law, pursuing justice for victims, and preserving the integrity of the investigative process,” he said.

By CAROLYN THOMPSON
Associated Press