Sex Offender Tried Snatching Boy at Recess, Declared Incompetent, Walks Free [WATCH]

Prosecutors in Colorado will drop attempted kidnapping charges against a registered sex offender accused of trying to abduct a child from an Aurora elementary school, citing the suspect’s mental incompetence to stand trial.

The 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, which serves Arapahoe County and includes cities such as Aurora and Littleton, confirmed to FOX31 on Friday that it plans to dismiss the criminal case against 33-year-old Solomon Galligan.

Galligan was arrested in April 2024 after allegedly attempting to kidnap an 11-year-old boy during recess at Black Forest Hills Elementary School in Aurora.

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Aurora police reported at the time that Galligan is a registered sex offender, with his registration linked to the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office.

The alleged kidnapping attempt was captured on video surveillance, showing a man chasing and reaching for a student on the school playground while other children fled the scene.

Following his arrest, Galligan underwent a court-ordered mental competency evaluation.

Based on the results, he was found incompetent to stand trial. Prosecutors with the district attorney’s office said they have no legal path forward to prosecute the case given that determination.

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“This is not about whether or not he committed the act,” the district attorney’s office told FOX31.

The issue, they stated, is strictly Galligan’s legal competence. According to Colorado law, a defendant who is not competent to stand trial cannot be prosecuted unless and until they are restored to competency.

The video footage of the incident led to heightened alarm within the school community. “It’s super scary to watch,” said Dante White, a parent whose child was present during the incident.

“Especially seeing the perpetrator, the pictures of him. I would be freaked out if that guy touched me. It was an attempted kidnapping.”

The fallout from the incident also triggered action within the Cherry Creek School District, which oversees Black Forest Hills Elementary.

Parents submitted a 10-page letter to district officials demanding an independent review of the school’s response to the attempted abduction.

As a result of the district’s internal investigation, Black Forest Hills Elementary School’s principal at the time, Amanda Replogle, was removed from her position.

A district spokesperson confirmed the leadership change in a written statement provided to FOX31.

“The information obtained through this investigation has led us to decide that we need to make an administrative change at Black Forest Hills,” the statement 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.”

In a letter to district families, Replogle acknowledged that there had been a “clear misstep” in the school’s handling of the situation, specifically the failure to initiate a secure status lockdown 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 wrote in a letter obtained by FOX31.

Since the incident, the Cherry Creek School District has implemented a series of reforms.

These include enhanced security protocols, an increased physical security presence on school grounds, and added support for student mental health.

Officials also stated that students are now offered indoor recess options to improve comfort and safety.