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Prosecutors in Colorado plan to drop charges against a registered sex offender accused of trying to kidnap a child from an elementary school because he was found incompetent to stand trial.
The 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, which covers Arapahoe County and includes Aurora and Littleton, informed FOX31 on Friday that it intends to dismiss charges against Solomon Galligan. The 33-year-old faces one count of attempted kidnapping after he allegedly tried to take an 11-year-old boy during recess at Black Forest Hills Elementary School in April 2024.
Aurora police previously reported that Galligan is a registered sex offender, with his registration tied to the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office.
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After his arrest, Galligan underwent a mental competency evaluation that determined he was unfit to stand trial. As a result, prosecutors claimed they have no choice but to drop the charges.
“When a defendant is found mentally incompetent to stand trial and is being civilly committed for mental health treatment, we are legally obligated to dismiss charges per state law,” the district attorney’s office told Fox News Digital.
“However, we have until the end of the month to file a formal Motion to Dismiss. This has not yet occurred.”
Galligan’s guilt is not the issue for prosecutors. The alleged crime was captured on video that showed a man chasing after and grabbing at a student as other children ran away.
“It’s super scary to watch,” Dante White, whose child encountered the suspect, told FOX31 when the incident happened. “Especially seeing the perpetrator, the pictures of him. I would be freaked out if that guy touched me. It was an attempted kidnapping.”
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In the aftermath of the incident, parents at the Aurora school submitted a 10-page letter to Cherry Creek School District officials, demanding an independent review of the school’s handling of the situation.
School district officials conducted an investigation, where former Black Forrest Hills Elementary School Principal Amanda Replogle was replaced, the outlet reported.
“The information obtained through this investigation has led us to decide that we need to make an administrative change at Black Forest Hills,” a previous statement from the district sent to FOX31 read. “We are making that change now so that we can move forward with the final weeks of the school year in a positive and productive way.”
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Replogle admitted that it was a “clear misstep” that the school was not placed on secure status after the incident.
“I, along with district leadership, own that mistake. There was confusion at the time and we did not know all the details of what occurred as we do now,” Replogle said in a letter obtained by FOX31 that was sent to the district.
The school district told FOX31 that reforms have been implemented since the kidnapping attempt, including security protocol enhancements, increased security presence, and prioritizing student mental health support by offering options for indoor recess as an alternative for safety and comfort.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Cherry Creek School District for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story’s headline indicated that the suspect would walk free after the charges were dropped.
Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to [email protected]
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