A preliminary hearing is scheduled later this month for a 30-year-old man accused of abducting his ex-girlfriend in Banning and holding her inside his apartment, using a fake handgun.
Abed Zuhair Khair is charged with kidnapping, false imprisonment, brandishing an imitation firearm in a threatening manner and possession of controlled substances.
Khair pleaded not guilty during an arraignment at the Banning Justice Center Monday, at which time Riverside County Superior Court Judge Joshlyn Pulliam scheduled his preliminary hearing for May 26.
The hearing will determine whether there’s sufficient evidence to warrant a trial on the felony and misdemeanor counts.
The defendant is being held in lieu of $55,000 bail at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.
According to the Banning Police Department, in the predawn hours last Thursday, Khair allegedly followed the victim, identified only as his ex-girlfriend, to South Fourth Street, where she met with friends and was walking on the sidewalk when the defendant pulled to the curb, parked and “forced (her) into his vehicle.”
The witnesses called 911, reporting that Khair was in possession of a handgun, police said.
“Officers located his vehicle at a local apartment complex (on West Nicolet Street),” according to the police department. “Detectives responded and conducted surveillance at the location. Khair eventually exited the apartment and was taken into custody without incident.”
The woman was found in his apartment, uninjured. Investigators also seized a replica pistol at the location, police alleged.
Khair has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County. However, court records show he has two unresolved misdemeanor drug-related cases pending adjudication.