An East Cobb man has been arrested and charged with criminal solicitation of a child after attempting to purchase a 7-year-old girl from an East Cobb Kroger store on Monday, Cobb Police said.
Einodd Samimi, 62 or 63 years old, is in the Cobb County Adult Detention Center, charged with felony counts of criminal solicitation and enticing a child, according to Cobb Sheriff’s Office information.
Cobb Police said a woman and her granddaughter were at the Kroger store at 2100 Roswell Road, in the Pavilions at East Lake Shopping Center, around 7 p.m. Monday, when the grandmother said she noticed a man following them.
She said the man was making “inappropriate comments” and offered to buy the child for $200, police said.
According to Cobb Police, “the grandmother confronted the male when he asked to purchase her granddaughter at the Kroger, and a ‘large crowd’ of shoppers chased the male through the store and to his vehicle.”
Police added that detectives arrested Samimi at his home. The place of arrest noted by the Cobb Sheriff’s Office is on Coventry Township Place, located off Barnes Mill Road, near the Kroger.
Samimi, who was born in Iran, is being held on $20,000 bond, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Police said the grandmother also told them the same man previously had offered her $100 for the child at a Wal-Mart on Cobb Parkway.
Cobb Police said they’re continuing to investigate and anyone with information is asked to contact the Cobb County Crimes Against Children unit at 770-801-3470.
The arrest of Samimi was announced as Cobb Police also said they have arrested a man who allegedly tried to kidnap an 11-year-old girl in a public restroom at Town Center Mall on Tuesday.
Police said the suspect came out of a stall and threatened the girl with a knife while her father waited for her outside the restroom.
Police said the girl screamed and escaped, and the suspect was chased down by mall patrons in a food court before being caught.
Cobb Police say they’re looking for witnesses with information about a female whom they think was involved in the incident, but who got away.
Police say the woman may be of Middle Eastern descent in her 30s. Anyone with information, or who may have taken videos or photos should contact the Crimes Against Children unit at 770-801-3487 or by e-mailing CobbSVU@cobbcounty.org.
Danzel Mitchell, 26, is being held at the Cobb jail without bond, and is charged with aggravated assault, attempted kidnapping, cruelty to children in the first degree and false imprisonment.
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