Court documents say the man grabbed the student and injected him with something. Police arrived to find the victim unconscious and unresponsive.
HOUSTON — A homeless man with an extensive criminal background is currently under arrest following a frightening event near a school in Houston, Texas. Court records reveal that Ted Fleming abducted a student after administering an unknown substance to him.
Fleming, 41, faces charges of kidnapping stemming from the October 1 incident near Aldine High School. Additionally, he is accused of failing to register as a sex offender.
According to court documents, the victim was walking near the school when Fleming grabbed him and injected him with something.
“Aldine High School staff observed a student staggering and walking unsteadily on the sidewalk in front of the shopping center opposite the campus,” stated Aldine ISD in a release.
A staff member got video of the student being pulled away by the suspect.
The staff then alerted Aldine ISD police, who discovered the student unconscious and unresponsive. An officer revived the student using Narcan and performed CPR. According to court records, the student lost consciousness once more in the ambulance en route to the hospital.
Fleming was found nearby and arrested.
A victim’s advocate with Crime Stoppers says it’s one of the more disturbing cases he’s come across.
“This is the first instance I’ve encountered where someone was actually injected,” said victim’s advocate Andy Kahan. “Now, we have a teenager who, had things gone differently, could have suffered tragic consequences if the suspect had succeeded in fully carrying out the abduction.”
Documentation reveals that Fleming has a lengthy history of incarcerations, with a criminal record extending back to at least 2014, comprising at least 38 previous arrests. These include charges for deadly conduct, multiple counts of making terrorist threats, several instances of indecent exposure, as well as evading and trespassing. Some more severe charges were dropped after Fleming accepted plea deals for lesser offenses, as indicated by the prosecutor.
“And yet he has never spent one day in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice,” Kahan pointed out. “You obviously have to blame the defendant for his actions, but at the same time, you’ve got to look at our criminal justice system for repeatedly putting him back out in society.”
The prosecutor requested a bond of $250,000, citing Fleming’s criminal history.
“There is a deep concern for public safety based on the facts,” the prosecutor said during Fleming’s first court appearance.
Fleming’s public defender countered with a $17,000 bond request. After hearing both sides, the judge set Fleming’s bond at $150,000.
In a statement, Aldine ISD says it increased patrols in the area after the incident.
Read Aldine ISD’s full statement on kidnapping near school
“On Wednesday, October 1, Aldine High School staff members saw a student stumbling and walking off balance on the sidewalk in front of the shopping center across the street from the campus. Out of abundance of caution, the school administrator and the Aldine ISD Police Department were contacted. The student was observed being approached by an unidentified, suspicious male. The location was within 1,000 feet of the campus.
“When the Aldine ISD police officer arrived, he immediately detained the male.
“The officer found the student non-responsive. The officer administered medical aid, including CPR chest compressions. The student regained consciousness as EMS arrived. He told authorities that the unknown male had injected him with an unknown substance.
“The Aldine ISD PD presented charges to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, and the charges of kidnapping, failure to register as a sex offender, and entering school grounds without notice were accepted. The Aldine ISD Police will increase patrols around the Aldine High School area. The safety and well-being of our students and staff will always be our top priority.”
