Officials: Serial abductor arrested in girl's kidnap from home, rape

CLEVELAND — A Cleveland-area man accused of breaking into two homes and kidnapping and raping a girl and trying to abduct another within the past year scouted out his victims, authorities said Monday.

Investigators are calling Justin Christian, of Lorain, a serial abductor and now are looking into whether he was involved in similar abduction attempts.

The first girl, 10, fought off an attempted abduction in February when Christian climbed into her bedroom window in Elyria and tried to pull her outside, authorities said at a news conference.

He kidnapped a 6-year-old Cleveland girl while she was sleeping at home in May and held her for about 17 hours before dropping her off at an intersection, police said. 

Law enforcement officials from across the state spent thousands of hours tracking down leads that helped them identify Christian as a suspect, reports Cleveland.com. Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine has called the case “every parent’s worst nightmare” and the FBI, Cleveland and Elyria police and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation have investigated for months.  

Investigators found DNA on a ladder used in the abduction attempt and were able to make a familial match and link Christian to both cases, said Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine. 

Investigators said Christian carefully planned the abduction attempts and scouted the homes, saying he went into the 10-year-old girl’s home and unlocked several doors and windows the day before he tried to grab her. 

He was seen walking near the Cleveland girl’s home several times before he broke into the home and kidnapped her, the FBI said. 

In an interview with CBS affiliate WOIO, Christian’s brother defended him.

“I don’t believe my brother did that at all,” said Jimmy Christian. “I feel bad for him. I wish I could hold him right now because his heart probably really hurts.”

A grand jury on Monday indicted Christian on charges of rape, kidnapping, aggravated burglary and tampering with evidence. FBI agents and police arrested him Friday. Christian, 29, was being held in jail Monday and is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday.

There were no court records indicating whether he has an attorney. There is no home telephone listing for him.