Parent thwarts suspected kidnapping attempt at North Richland Hills school, police say

An observant parent stopped what police believe was an attempted kidnapping during a school event in North Richland Hills on Tuesday night, police said.

On Tuesday, parents and kids attended a meet-the-teacher night at the International Leadership of Texas School NRH event.

A parent noticed a man walking around the school’s hallways without a child, according to a press release from North Richland Hills police. The man walked up to the parent and child and put his arm around the child, police said, and tried to usher the child away from his mother.

The mother pulled the child back and told school officials what happened. The school contacted the police, who found the man — identified as 31-year-old Kevin Ward —outside the school. Ward was taken into custody and faces a charge of unlawful restraint of a minor, a felony, with a bail set at $150,000.

In the department’s tweet about the incident, North Richland Hills Police Department thanked the parent “for their quick-thinking action.”