Kidnap Suspect Grabs Teen 'Bride' in Bookstore

Written by City News Service and Peter Schelden, posted by Roy Rivenburg.

A 29-year-old Mission Viejo man was behind bars Monday on suspicion of trying to drag a teenage girl out of a bookstore in Aliso Viejo, a sheriff's spokesman said.

Saif Mohamed Moussa was booked on suspicion of kidnapping and child annoyance and was being held on $100,000 bail, said Jim Amormino of the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

A 17-year-old girl was shopping in the Barnes & Noble store at 26751 Aliso Creek Road about 2 p.m. Saturday when Moussa grabbed her in a bear hug and walked her about 20 feet to the front door, Amormino said.

"He said he intended to marry her," Amormino said.

Once the two got near the front door, the girl broke free and found her father, an off-duty Orange County sheriff's deputy, inside the store, Amormino said.

The father restrained the suspect until other deputies arrived and took Moussa into custody, Amormino said.

"Who knows what may have happened if he was able to leave the store with the young girl?" Amormino said. "It's very frightening for a young girl. It's a good thing her father was there. It was very brazen—that was Saturday afternoon in Town Center in Aliso Viejo, a very, very quiet city."

Moussa was previously arrested in March on suspicion of lewd conduct, Amormino said. He also has a former charge of indecent exposure, Amormino said. Court records indicate the indecent exposure charge was later dismissed after he pled not guilty.

In 2007, Moussa pled guilty to two felony counts of drug possession and was sentenced to three years of informal probation.