A 40-year-old Kent man pleaded not guilty to a second-degree kidnapping charge for reportedly trying to take a 6-year-old girl from an apartment complex parking lot.
Hayder Albu-Mohammed entered his plea Aug. 1 in front of King County Superior Court Judge Johanna Bender at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. Defense attorney James Curtis asked the judge to reduce bail, which she did from $250,000 to $200,000.
As of Aug. 5, Albu-Mohammed remained in custody at the King County Correctional Facility in Seattle, according to jail records. He is scheduled to return to court for a pretrial hearing on Aug. 13.
Kent Police arrested Albu-Mohammed July 16 at the Meridian Green Townhomes Apartments, 11305 SE Kent-Kangley Road. Officers responded at about 8 p.m. to the apartment complex after a 911 caller said a man was attempting to abduct a young child, according to charging documents.
Officers arrived at the complex and were flagged down by three 11-year-old girls who witnessed the incident. All three girls live at the apartment complex and pointed in the direction of Albu-Mohammed. Officers took him into custody after the 11-year-old girls helped get the young girl from Albu-Mohammed.
While questioned by police, Albu-Mohammed, through an Arabic interpreter, said he asked a young girl to help him with his prayer beads and that he didn’t do anything wrong, according to charging papers. He said he was just 20 seconds from home and the girl appeared in front of him by coincidence. He said the girl said she would help him, which she did and then left.
Albu-Mohammed said he never touched the girl or picked her up and he didn’t understand why officers detained him.
The girls said they knew Albu-Mohammed was not related to or friends with the young girl. They said he gripped her hand extremely tight. Albu-Mohammed reportedly picked up the girl and started to run with her in his arms, according to charging papers. One of the girls began to record the incident with her cellphone as they ran after Albu-Mohammed. The girls yelled at him to put the girl down as they chased him. He put the girl down and one of the girls grabbed her, pulled her away and the girls all ran away toward the young girl’s home.
The family of the young girl told police they did not know Albu-Mohammed or give him permission to take the girl anywhere at any time.
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