BARBOURSVILLE, W.V. – A man from Egypt is accused of attempting to abduct a five-year-old girl after grabbing her by the hair in a West Virginia mall, WCHS reports.
According to police, the abduction attempt was foiled when the girl’s mother pulled a gun on the man and told him to let her go.
Mohammad Fathy Hussein Zayan, 54, was charged with attempted child abduction Monday, according to a criminal complaint filed in the Cabell County Magistrate Court.
Police said Zayan had been working in the area and living out of a motel. A translator worked with Zayan, who speaks Arabic but not English.
The mall’s property manager said guns are allowed inside the mall.
Zayan’s bond was set at $200,000 cash a magistrate. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 8.