Blackbird
05-21-2006, 05:38 PM
2 Saudi Men Arrested After Boarding School Bus in Florida
Sunday, May 21, 2006
TAMPA, Florida — Two Saudi men were held without bond Sunday after they were arrested for boarding a school bus full of children, authorities said.
Mana Saleh Almanajam, 23, and Shaker Mohsen Alsidran, 20, were charged with misdemeanor trespassing and were being held at Orient Road Jail after a judge said Saturday she wanted more background information on them.
The two men arrived in the country six months ago on student visas and are enrolled at the English Language Institute at the University of South Florida.
Investigators said they boarded the school bus Friday, sat down and began speaking in Arabic. Their behavior concerned the driver, a substitute, who alerted the school district.
The men were asked why they boarded the bus, and sheriff's spokesman J.D. Callaway said they gave different answers: They wanted to enroll in an easier English language program than the one at USF, they wanted to see a high school, and they thought it would be fun.
A friend tried to bail Almanajam and Alsidran out of jail, but Circuit Judge Monica Sierra decided to detain the pair. She scheduled a Tuesday hearing and asked that an Arabic interpreter be present.
Ahmed Bedier, director of the Central Florida Council on American-Islamic Relations, said it sounded like a cultural mix-up.
"The only reason (this happened) is because of who they are, and that's wrong," he said.
OK-2 low level Arab guys w/no background history, attempting to see if they can just board a school bus & plead ignorance if caught? Gimme a break. Check their cell phone records, family connections, & everything else down to their underwear before you let these guys go. If this doesn't smell like a dry run I don't know what would. :--|
Sorry, don't want to disrupt the fun & light atmosphere of The Lounge, but thought this was important. Feel free to tell me I'm a pain in the butt if you choose. Love fishing & love reading all your posts on P&S. Feel like I know many of you guys, even though I've only had the pleasure of meeting a couple at LIP, Va beach.
Sunday, May 21, 2006
TAMPA, Florida — Two Saudi men were held without bond Sunday after they were arrested for boarding a school bus full of children, authorities said.
Mana Saleh Almanajam, 23, and Shaker Mohsen Alsidran, 20, were charged with misdemeanor trespassing and were being held at Orient Road Jail after a judge said Saturday she wanted more background information on them.
The two men arrived in the country six months ago on student visas and are enrolled at the English Language Institute at the University of South Florida.
Investigators said they boarded the school bus Friday, sat down and began speaking in Arabic. Their behavior concerned the driver, a substitute, who alerted the school district.
The men were asked why they boarded the bus, and sheriff's spokesman J.D. Callaway said they gave different answers: They wanted to enroll in an easier English language program than the one at USF, they wanted to see a high school, and they thought it would be fun.
A friend tried to bail Almanajam and Alsidran out of jail, but Circuit Judge Monica Sierra decided to detain the pair. She scheduled a Tuesday hearing and asked that an Arabic interpreter be present.
Ahmed Bedier, director of the Central Florida Council on American-Islamic Relations, said it sounded like a cultural mix-up.
"The only reason (this happened) is because of who they are, and that's wrong," he said.
OK-2 low level Arab guys w/no background history, attempting to see if they can just board a school bus & plead ignorance if caught? Gimme a break. Check their cell phone records, family connections, & everything else down to their underwear before you let these guys go. If this doesn't smell like a dry run I don't know what would. :--|
Sorry, don't want to disrupt the fun & light atmosphere of The Lounge, but thought this was important. Feel free to tell me I'm a pain in the butt if you choose. Love fishing & love reading all your posts on P&S. Feel like I know many of you guys, even though I've only had the pleasure of meeting a couple at LIP, Va beach.