Kidnapping Trial Underway

The trial is underway for a Canadian man accused of trying to kidnap a then-12-year old girl in the Upper Peninsula more than two years ago. 42-year old Mohammed El Fechtali of Quebec is charged with attempted kidnapping and enticing a child for immoral purposes. Police say the man allegedly attempted to entice the girl into his vehicle along M-28 in Munising in November 2011 but she became scared and ran home, telling her parents what happened. During a police interview, he allegedly confessed to trying to kidnap the girl. That confession was later thrown out by a judge. An appeals court ruling reversed that decision, and sent the case back to Alger County. El Fechtali claims he was just asking the girl for directions and then offered her a ride home. In March of 2013 the defense moved that the charges against El Fechtali be dropped. That motion was denied.