Winchester man charged for trying to take child from school

By Kendall Sparks  May 2, 2013

A Winchester man has been arrested after he went to Central Elementary School this morning and attempted to check out a childJames A. Tolson II, 25, of 109 Alabama St., was charged with attempted custodial interference and is in custody at the Clark County Detention Center.

Winchester Police Detective Dennis Briscoe said that Tolson went to the school early this morning and asked for a student by name. The name matched with a student at the school, but when they looked him up, Tolson’s name was not on the child’s pick-up list. He told the front desk that the child’s mother was in the parking lot if they wanted to speak to her. The staff went outside with Tolson, only for him to take off on foot. The school contacted authorities and the school went on immediate lockdown.

The child was not released from the school, Briscoe said.Winchester Police officers located Tolson later Thursday in a residence on Camden Drive, Briscoe said.

While being escorted to jail, Tolson told the press that he was messing around and had  made up a child’s name. He also said he was sorry for what he had done and had no intention of taking the child.

Tolson made similar statements in January when he was charged with impersonating a firefighter. Tolson was convicted of impersonating a public servant after he went door to door, pretending to be with the fire department and said he was checking smoke detectors. He used his own name to one witness who recognized him and called the police. He said he was doing it as a joke. Tolson pleaded guilty, was sentenced to 90 days in jail and served 11, with the remaining 79 being conditionally discharged.

Thursday, police and school officials said everyone followed the established plan for checking students out of school. NA Daytona

“The front office staff followed all procedures,” said Central Elementary Principal Lisa Smith. “They required an I.D., questioned the person and he was not allowed to get anywhere near a child. Our first priority is the safety of our children and we will always follow procedures that are in place.”

Smith also said that she had stepped in the office to find out what was happening, and when she saw Tolson continuing to back away from the staff questioning him, she knew something was not right. That’s when the staff immediately contacted authorities and locked down the school.

“We went on with a normal day in the school,” she said.

Clark County Superintendent Elaine Farris said she wanted to remind all schools to continue to follow policies and procedures. AA Daytona.

“This is why we have policies in place. It keeps all of our kids safe,” Farris said. “We are so proud of the Central staff for following policy.”

Farris also said, in terms of security, that they will continue to do what they’re doing in order to protect students. All schools in Clark County have locked doors and a buzz-in system in which a visitor speaks to a monitor and gives their name and business at the school, she said. The visitor can then come inside and sign in.

aytonTolson is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday on his latest case. He was scheduled to be in Clark District Court Monday on a previous conviction for fourth-degree assault. He was convicted of alcohol intoxication, criminal mischief and assault in January after breaking out the windows of a woman’s car, pulling a knife and cutting her sister’s finger. He pleaded guilty, was sentenced to 180 days in jail with 150 of them conditionally discharged and was ordered to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and anger management classes. AA Da