Buffalo, NY (WBEN) An Illinois man will be headed to prison for trying to kidnap a child at a Buffalo school.
31 year old Shane Cronin will serve five years in prison after pleading guilty last year to burglary, attempted kidnapping, attempted luring a child, endangering the welfare of a child and attempted assault after entering the Charles Drew Magnet School last year and approached two juvenile students in the hallway.
During the encounter, Cronin attempted to lure and abduct one of the students. A school employee, who saw Cronin in the hallway with the students, directed him to leave. After he was confronted, Cronin punched the female employee in the face and shoved her to the ground before running out of the building after a school security guard intervened.
He was taken into custody nearby a short time after the incident.
“I am committed to protecting the safety of children in our community. As District Attorney, I assure the residents of Erie County that any crime committed on school grounds will be thoroughly investigated by this office. I understand that this case raised many questions and concerns. My office immediately took action following the arrest of this defendant, which resulted in an indictment by the Grand Jury following a three-month investigation. This defendant was not offered a reduced plea, and I am pleased to announce that he will serve a term of incarceration for this crime. My office remains steadfast in our commitment to investigate of any allegations of crimes involving children and we will continue to aggressively pursue justice for our most vulnerable victims,” said Erie County District Attorney Mike Keane.