BARBOURSVILLE, W.Va. — Barboursville Police say it took a mother armed with a gun to stop an man apparently intent on kidnapping her young child.
Police have arrested Mohamed Fathy Hussein Zayan from Alexandria, Egypt. He was taken into custody and jailed after the incident at the Huntington Mall around 6 p.m. Monday.
The victim claimed she and her five-year old daughter were shopping in the Old Navy store at the mall when Zayan approached them. She told police he grabbed the child by the hair and started dragging her away. The mother, pulled out a gun and threatened to shoot Zayan who immediately let go of the girl and fled the store.
He was found a short time later at the Mall’s food court by Police and identified by the victim.
Zayan is now in the Western Regional Jail at Barboursville awaiting his preliminary hearing. He’s charged with one felony county of attempted abduction of a child. His bond is set at $200 thousand.
Barboursville Police and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department continue the investigation, but believe it was an isolated incident. Zayan was forced to surrender his passport and jail officials arranged for an Arabic speaking interpreter to be used on the phone during arraignment.