Officers: Man molested girl after luring her into van

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A man accused of molesting a girl he lured into a van was arrested, Orange County deputies said Thursday.

Authorities said Mohamed Hafeez, 53, had been arrested in 2009 for a similar incident.

Patti Ramkarran told WFTV she always thought her neighborhood seemed safe, but deputies stopped at her home requesting surveillance video and told her about the alleged crime.

"It's hitting very close to home that this is happening," Ramkarran said. "There was at least a white van stopped up ahead and was trying to at least kidnap a child."

Her cameras didn't capture Hafeez in action, but deputies said they have gathered enough evidence against him.

Reports show Hafeez drove up to a 13-year-old girl and grabbed her by the wrists after asking her, "Do you need a ride to school?"

The girl said that once in the van, Hafeez molested her. The girl's stepfather tracked Hafeez's white minivan a few blocks away at Hafeez's mother's house.

Hafeez's mother didn't want to talk to WFTV reporter Renee Stoll Wednesday night.

"I don't have nothing to say right now," she said.

WFTV found out that in 2009, Hafeez was convicted of luring a child, just a few miles from the location of the most recent incident.

However, Hafeez is not listed on Florida's sex offender registry.

Hafeez remains locked up in the Orange County Jail on $5,000 bail.

WFTV