Police are looking for people who may have seen a sexual assault near the Walmart in Tysons, Virginia, in early March.
Fairfax County police said Mohamed Sadek Souidi, 27, of no fixed address, is suspected of assaulting a woman outside the Tysons West shopping center on the 1500 block of Cornerside Boulevard on Wednesday, March 3.
The victim reported sitting on a bench around 4 p.m. when a man she was unfamiliar with approached her, started a conservation then proceeded to sexually assault her.
The woman screamed and was managed to get away, but police said Souidi followed her. She caught the attention of a bystander who escorted her to safety inside a nearby business, police said in a news release Tuesday.
Detectives make arrest in Tysons sexual assault; Seeking witnesses. https://t.co/dNSqCkEWkX #FCPD pic.twitter.com/x7gVndgyT6
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) March 23, 2021
Souidi was arrested on March 12 after detectives working the case spotted him in the area.
He faces felony charges of object sexual penetration by force and abduction with intent to defile, and is being held without bond at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center. His preliminary hearing in Fairfax County General District Court is scheduled for June 2.
Investigators believe other people may have unknowingly witnessed the crime due to the time and place where it occurred.
Anyone who saw the assault or with knowledge of the suspect is asked to contact police by calling 703-246-7800, option 3. Tips can also be submitted anonymously at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477) or through the Crime Solvers website.
