LORAIN – A man suspected of grabbing a 6-year-old girl on her way to school Tuesday morning was arrested as he attempted to flee through the police department parking lot.
Police say 34-year-old William Metcalf, of Lorain, grabbed the girl on her arm about 8 a.m. as she was entering Lorain Community School, on West Erie Avenue across from the Lorain Police Department.
A woman who had dropped the girl off stood between the man and the girl while calling police, prompting the man to flee, Lorain police Sgt. Mark Carpentiere said. A detective who heard a description of the alleged attempted kidnapper while pulling his car into work spotted Metcalf and arrested him.
Metcalf was charged with attempted kidnapping.
Metcalf has a past conviction for disorderly conduct and a history of mental illness, Carpentiere said. In June, he was taken to have a psychiatric evaluation after he was spotted by police talking to himself in the Rite Aid parking lot, and was again taken for an evaluation a few months later after telling an officer he was being abducted by aliens.

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