Mohamed Fathy Hussein Zayan, 54, has been charged with attempted abduction after he allegedly tried to kidnap a five-year-old girl

An Egyptian man is behind bars after he allegedly tired to kidnap a five-year-old girl at a West Virginia mall.

The young girl's mother reportedly thwarted the kidnapping attempt by pulling a gun out and scaring off the man.

Mohamed Fathy Hussein Zayan, 54, has been charged with attempted abduction after he allegedly grabbed the girl at Huntington Mall in Barboursville on Monday night.

The girl had been shopping with her mother inside an Old Navy store when Zayan 'grabbed the child by the hair and attempted to pull her away', according to the criminal complaint.

She tried to stop her kidnapper, dropping to the floor as he was 'still pulling her away'.

That's when the girl's mother pulled out a handgun and told the man to let go of her daughter.

The mother told investigators that the man released her daughter and sprinted out of the store and back into the mall, according to WSAZ.

She gave officers a description of the suspect. Officers and mall security then spotted Zayan walking near the food court and arrested him.

The young girl's mother reportedly thwarted the kidnapping attempt by pulling a gun out and scaring him off

Officers and mall security then spotted Zayan walking near the food court and arrested him

Zayan, who is from Alexandria, was arraigned at the Cabell County Courthouse on Monday night.

Since he only speaks Arabic, an interpreter was used over the phone during the arraignment.

Zayan's cash bond was set at $200,000. He was forced to surrender his passport and ordered to stay in West Virginia.

He is currently being held at Western Regional Jail. The preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 8.