By rssfeeds-admin BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — May 28, 2025
A 22-year-old man with developmental disabilities is facing felony charges after police say he attempted to abduct a young girl in the lobby of a Bloomington movie theater on May 23. The incident brings up questions about the company responsible for the man’s supervision.
Thomas Jacob Stinson, of Worthington, Indiana, level 5 felony kidnapping and level 6 battery after allegedly grabbing a girl under the age of 14 by the arm and trying to pull her into a men’s restroom at the AMC Showplace Theater 12 on West Third Street.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed May 28 in Monroe Circuit Court, Bloomington Police officers responded to the theater around 7:50 p.m. after receiving a report of suspicious activity. Witnesses told officers that a man in a camouflage jacket had tried to drag a child into the bathroom. When officers arrived, they found Stinson in the outer parking lot and took him into custody.
The girl and her sister told officers they were leaving the restroom when Stinson, who was standing nearby, suddenly grabbed the younger girl’s right arm and attempted to force her toward the men’s restroom. As she screamed for help, Stinson allegedly tried to cover her mouth. The child’s sister intervened, hitting and kicking Stinson until he let go. The girl sustained visible redness and a scratch mark on her arm, according to officers who documented her injuries with photographs.
Security footage confirmed the girls’ account, showing Stinson lingering near the restroom before grabbing the child and trying to lead her away.
When questioned by police, Stinson admitted to grabbing the girl but gave what officers described as inconsistent and unclear reasons. He reportedly stated that he sometimes acts on “feelings” but couldn’t explain further. After being read his Miranda rights, he agreed to speak with investigators and acknowledged that he understood it was wrong to touch someone without permission.
Stinson’s caregiver from ResCare, a company that provides services to individuals with developmental disabilities, told officers Stinson is diagnosed with Autism and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Despite these conditions, Cochran said Stinson is typically permitted to go out unsupervised.
The incident raises questions about the level of supervision and support provided to Stinson during his outings. While he is considered developmentally disabled, officers noted that he was able to communicate effectively and demonstrated an understanding of right and wrong.
Attempts to reach a spokesperson for ResCare were unsuccessful, as the company does not provide direct media contact information on its website. However, public records and industry bulletins show that ResCare Community Living was recently sold by BrightSpring Health Services to Sevita Health for $835 million in a deal announced in February 2025. The transaction, which is pending regulatory approval, shifts BrightSpring’s focus to its core service lines, including home health, hospice, and primary care.
Sevita, formerly known as The MENTOR Network, is a national provider of home- and community-based specialty healthcare services. The company is incorporated in Delaware and is owned by the private equity firm KKR & Co. Inc.
While Sevita’s website outlines a commitment to individualized care and community integration, it does not publicly disclose specific policies regarding supervision of individuals in their care. It remains unclear how the decision was made to allow the individual involved in the recent incident to be unsupervised at a movie theater, or what staffing protocols may have been in place at the time.
However, ResCare, the company in charge of looking after Stinson, was the subject of a WTHR investigation in 2019, which said, in part, “13 Investigates has discovered a troubling record that raises concerns about who’s keeping watch.”
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The post Man with Developmental Disabilities Accused of Attempted Abduction in Lobby of Bloomington Movie Theater first appeared on The Bloomingtonian.
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