By Chris Taylor / Angela Hatton
Mayfield, KY – UPDATE, 11:30 AM: The lawyer for a Mayfield man accused of attempted kidnapping is speaking out for his client. Nathan Goodrich says Yusuf Hassan is completely innocent. Mayfield Police arrested Hassan this week for allegedly grabbing a 12-year-old girl and trying to put her in his car. Goodrich calls the arrest's timing "highly suspicious." Police arrested Hassan the same day the Mayfield zoning board denied a permit to allow Somali Muslims to establish a mosque. Goodrich says he hasn't seen the evidence the Commonwealth has at this point. He's only read the complaint filed by the girl and her mother. A preliminary hearing is next Wednesday in Graves County District Court. Graves County Attorney John Cunningham was unavailable for comment.
A Somali refugee accused of attempting to abduct a 12-year-old girl pleaded not guilty yesterday in Graves County. Mayfield Police arrested 23-year-old Yusuf Hassan Tuesday at the site of the proposed mosque on East Broadway, which that same day was denied a permit by Mayfield's Zoning Board. A complaint filed Monday alleges Hassan grabbed the girl and attempted to take her to his car parked nearby. The girl broke free, alerted police and later identified Hassan from a photo lineup. He is charged with attempted kidnapping of a minor and is being held on a $100,000 bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled next week.