ST. LOUIS COUNTY — A Hazelwood man has been charged with kidnapping, accused of pretending to be a relative of a 13-year-old Ferguson-Florissant School District student and checking her out of school earlier this week, Florissant Police said Wednesday.
James Earl Paulette, 43, who investigators said was not known by the girl’s family, told staff at Cross Keys Middle School on Tuesday that he was related to the student and there had been a death in her family, police wrote in court documents.
Police located the girl at Paulette’s home in Jennings that afternoon — about six hours later — where Paulette told police they had played video games, according to court documents.
A school counselor had contacted the girl’s mother after seeing she was checked out of school shortly after arriving there. Officers identified Paulette through surveillance video and his license plates, which were connected to municipal court violations.
Paulette checked the victim out of school around 7:35 a.m. and officers arrived at his residence at about 1:30 p.m., police said.
In a message to parents on Wednesday, district officials said they were investigating the matter and “will take the necessary steps to ensure the appropriate level of accountability and support.”
District policy bars schools from releasing students without prior approval of the school’s principal or a designee. The policy also states anyone requesting the release of a student must present proper identification first.
Paulette was being held at the St. Louis County jail in lieu of $500,000 bail.
Child kidnapping is a Class A felony, punishable by a minimum of 10 years in prison.
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Monica Obradovic | Post-Dispatch
Education reporter
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