UPDATE 4:50 P.M., Tues. 2 April: The mother who claimed an Egyptian national attempted to kidnap her daughter has recanted her story and is now facing charges, according to WSAZ.
The original story reported is as follows:
A West Virginia mother was able to scare off an attempted kidnapper with her concealed firearm on Monday night, according to multiple local media outlets.
A mother was shopping with her 5-year-old daughter at Huntington Mall in Barboursville, W. Va., around 6:15 p.m. on Monday. As the pair were in Old Navy, a 54-year-old Egyptian national allegedly approached them and grabbed the 5-year-old by her hair and began to drag her away from her mother. That's when the mother pulled her gun and told the man to let her daughter go.
The man then let go of the 5-year-old's hair and fled the store. The Barboursville Police Department was then called, and they were able to apprehend the suspect a short time later.
That suspect, identified by WCHS, is reportedly an engineer who had been working in the area and living at a local motel. Police told local news outlets that he does not speak English and was afforded an interpreter during his arraignment in Cabell County Magistrate Court.
Huntington Mall’s manager told WCHS the property does not ban the concealed carry of firearms, and the mother didn’t violate any of their policies. There are no reports of any charges being filed against the mother nor are there any reports of serious injury to her daughter.
Zayan is currently sitting in the Western Regional Jail charged with one felony count of attempted abduction of a child, according to the MetroNews. A preliminary hearing in his case has been set for April 8. His bond is reportedly set at $200,000.