A man has been arrested for allegedly breaking into a staff house at Palmer Home for Children and attacking a staff member on the children’s home’s property at about 5 p.m. Wednesday.
Eric Todd Leslie, 26-years-old, of 912 11th Avenue South in Columbus has been arrested and charged initially with burglary and larceny of an occupied building, according to the city’s public information office Joe Dillon.
Columbus police arrested the man, who according to reports is a white male in his twenties who seemed to be under the influence of some kind of drug. Dillon reported the victim’s wife ran to get help after the suspect broke into the staff house. Other staff members from Palmer Home restrained the suspect before police arrived, according to a press release from the Columbus Police Department. The victim reports he has never met Leslie before, according to a press release from the city.
No children were injured in the incident.
The suspect and the staff member assaulted were both treated at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle. Police and Palmer Home are not releasing the name of either. The staff member was released Wednesday night with scrapes and bruises, Dillon said.
No children live in the residence that was broken into, according to the press release.
“The safety and security of our children, staff, and campus guests is of utmost concern to us,” Palmer Home president and CEO Drake Bassett said in an emailed statement to The Dispatch. “Security measures and protocols are in place to ensure that instances such as this can be appropriately addressed and quickly contained, as was the case today.”
Bassett added that he was grateful to the CPD and first responders, as well as to the community in Columbus for its support and prayers.
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