Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - A Grand Jury in Buffalo has indicted an Illinois man on four felony charges for his role in an alleged kidnapping of a child at the Charles R. Drew Science Magnet School 59 in Buffalo back in February.
30-year-old Shane Cronin is set to be arraigned on Wednesday in Erie County Court, where he will face charges of:
- Second-Degree Kidnapping
- Two counts of Luring a Child to Commit a Felony
- Three counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child that is Likely to Cause Injury
- Four counts of Burglary
- Five counts of Assault Causing Injury on School Ground
The alleged incident took place on Tuesday, Feb. 11 when Buffalo Police received a call at around 12:30 p.m. about an unknown man entering the school through the Buffalo Museum of Science.
According to officers, Cronin approached a young student before an assistant principal intervened. That administrator was then punched and shoved into a wall.
Police say the suspect then ran into the museum, was discovered hiding there and subsequently arrested. He was initially charged for assaulting the assistant principal, as well as burglary and child endangerment.
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This case was recently highlighted by Buffalo Police Detective Richard Hy on a podcast as evidence of wrongdoing by Buffalo Public Schools. He accused the district of covering up the incident, saying that parents were not notified that there was an attempted abduction.
In response to Detective Hy's claims, the Buffalo Public School District said it would launch its own independent external investigation.
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