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OGDEN — A man who police say grabbed a young girl on a school playground has now been charged with attempted kidnapping.
Ira Adam Cox-Berry, 41, of Ogden, was charged Wednesday in 2nd District Court with the first-degree felony. A judge also ordered Cox-Berry to be held in the Weber County Jail without bail.
About 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, police say Cox-Berry walked onto a school playground where a group of about 20 students were involved in a class activity. The Ogden School District confirmed Thursday the school was Lincoln Elementary. Cox-Berry then grabbed an 11-year-old girl by the arm and called her Emily, according to charging documents
The girl later told police she did not know Cox-Berry, but he "grabbed her wrist while telling her to come with him and calling her Emily. She said she told the man she was not Emily and he replied that she was," the charges state.
The girl then said "that her friend grabbed her other hand, and that her teacher intervened to get her away from the male she did not know," according to the charges.
In a prepared statement on Wednesday, Ogden police said that a "school employee" who has a concealed carry permit intervened and told Cox-Berry to leave. The employee was able to get all the children into a classroom and shut the door.
But Cox-Berry began punching a window, prompting the employee to take out a firearm and use it to keep him at bay while calling 911, according to police. Officers arrived and took Cox-Berry into custody after a short struggle.
The girl's guardian also told police that Cox-Berry is not related to her and was not authorized to take her anywhere, the charges state.
An initial court appearance for Cox-Berry is scheduled for June 1.
