BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — An Illinois man has been indicted on new charges that allege he kidnapped a child from a Buffalo Public School.
Shane Cronin, the 30-year-old man arrested in February following the incident at Dr. Charles R. Drew Science Magnet School, is now charged with:
- 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
Buffalo Police SVU Detective Richard Hy said on the Unsubscribe Podcast that Cronin had attempted to kidnap two children at the school. At the time of Cronin’s arrest, police had initially said he approached one child and assaulted an assistant principal.
Detective Hy also told 7 News that there's much more to the story. He said that Cronin tried to abduct two children, a girl and a boy, but the school never told the boy's family about the abduction attempt against him.
WATCH: Buffalo Police SVU Detective Richard Hy recently appeared on a popular YouTube podcast and accused Buffalo Public Schools officials of failing to protect children from abuse and even obstructing investigations by police.
Following the claims made by Detective Hy on the Unsubscribe Podcast and on 7 News, the Buffalo Board of Education held a special meeting and responded to the allegations, saying it will conduct an independent external investigation.
"The Board of Education takes allegations about the well-being of our students seriously," said Board President Dr. Kathy Evans-Brown. "The BOE is initiating an independent external investigation and the results will be shared publicly."
Cronin has been remanded without bail since the incident. He's expected in court later this week.
