XENIA — A man is in jail after police said he tried kidnapping a 5 year old girl during an open house at Saint Brigid school Monday night.
The school welcomed it’s students, parents and staff to its open house Monday night, before school starts Wednesday.
The school’s principal, Terry Adkins, was also there.
“A man wandered onto our campus, visited classrooms and presented himself as the father of a kindergarten student,” Adkins recalled.
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Adkins said because of the man’s “noticeably unusual” behavior, he decided to call police.
Theresa and Bernie Lehmenkuler’s five kids all went through St. Brigid School. They said Adkins knows his community.
“He knows his students, you know, he still says hi to me, knows my name,” Theresa said.
The Lehmenkulers said that people in this community look out for each other.
Some told News Center 7′s Haley Kosik that had Adkins not acted, they feared something terrible could have happened.
Police showed up and questioned the man, identified as Reid Duran, 35, of Fairborn.
According to a police report, Duran admitted to police he wanted to take the child home with them.
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When officers asked why, he said that he wanted to take the child home because he wanted to wanted to touch them “like you do an adult.”
Police took him in the station for more questions, then they said Duran got violent.
“Reid attempted to stab me in my upper right chest/neck area. I immediately took Reid to the ground, and placed him back in handcuffs,” the report states.
Duran was charged Tuesday with attempted kidnapping, felonious assault and escape. He’s being held without bond in the Greene County Jail.
His next court date has not be scheduled.
Parents said they were “super proud” of Adkins and how he handled the situation.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing. Anyone with information can 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.
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