The Atlanta man arrested for attempted kidnapping outside the Conyers Hobby Lobby in March is being investigated for a similar incident in Lithonia in February.

Musa Alkarim, 29, appeared in Rockdale County Magistrate Court Wednesday during a probable cause hearing where an obstruction charge stemming from name misunderstandings was reduced to a misdemeanor. His other charges – possession of a weapon during the commission of a crime, false date of birth, entering an automobile, and two counts each of aggravated assault, kidnapping – remained and were bound over to Superior Court.

Alkarim, a convicted felon out of Fulton County who was charged for the 2000 armed robbery of a convenience store, now has warrants out of DeKalb on two counts of kidnapping, one count each of armed robbery and aggravated assault for a Feb. 20 incident, confirmed DeKalb Police spokesperson Mekka Parish.

In that incident, a 31-year-old Stockbridge woman was in the parking lot outside the Ross store near Stonecrest Mall around 4:40 p.m. putting her young daughter in the car seat when a young black male opened the door and leaned in asking for money.

The suspect was described as about 25-30 years old, light complexioned, with light facial hair, and about 6 feet tall and weighing about 170 pounds.

The victim, who was in the back seat adjusting the car seat straps, told him she had no money.

The suspect then asked her if she had ever been stabbed before.

She was told to take off her wedding ring and then get into the front seat and drive to the bank.

“He told (the victim) if she listened and followed his directions, he would not hurt her or her baby,” wrote the reporting officer. “He told her to keep a smile on her face when she was driving.”

The suspect, who was sitting in the back seat, held the victim by her left side and threatened to stab her if she did anything.

The victim drove to an ATM and withdrew money and then drove behind the Marshall’s store. The suspect zip tied her right wrist to the steering wheel, left her keys next to a nearby dumpster and walked away.

The victim was able to cut the tie with an auto safety tool just as a security guard drove up.

Police investigating the March 24 Hobby Lobby incident also served a search warrant for Alkarim’s residence in Atlanta where he lived with his parents. They reportedly found more zipties and knives similar to the ones he used and had with him when he was arrested.

During Alkarim’s appearance before Judge Clarence "Rudy" Horne, Alkarim’s attorney Musa Ghanayem said his client initially gave the name of Moses because it was the English version of Musa but that the two were different versions of the same name. State prosecutors agreed to reducing the felony obstruction charge to a misdemeanor.

Ghanayem also argued for dismissal of the kidnapping charges and aggravated assault charge with the child. He said because the car did not move, the kidnapping charge should be dropped. “I think there is no evidence of aspertation and those be dismissed as a criminal attempt to commit kidnapping,” said Ghanayem.

He also said since the 11-month-old child was not interviewed and police did not know whether the child felt threatened, that the aggravated assault charge regarding the child should be dropped.

Judge Horne ruled those charges would stand.