A judge declined to set any bail Tuesday, June 25 for a man accused of attempting to kidnap two young girls in separate incidents at the Mission Valley mall.

Arturo Rene Lujan, Jr., 42, was arrested June 20 by San Diego Police after the department’s automated license plate reader system located his black Chevrolet Volt on State Route 94 near Home Ave. He was taken into custody in a traffic stop.

Lujan pleaded not guilty to two counts of attempted kidnapping of a 6-year-old girl on June 18 and a 5-year-old girl on June 20. Both incidents occurred at the mall at Camino del Rio North.

Lujan’s attorney, Marissa Remiker, reserved argument about bail to a later hearing. San Diego Superior Court Judge John Pro set a preliminary hearing for July 9.

Deputy District Attorney Eva Kilamyan said Lujan faces a maximum sentence of four years and 10 months if he’s convicted of the two charges filed so far.

The first incident occurred at 1:30 p.m. when the girl was pushing her younger sibling in a stroller with her mother walking beside her. A man grabbed the 6-year-old and carried her several feet until she began screaming. He released her and fled.

Two days later, a man grabbed a 5-year-old girl near Inflatable World, a playground in the parking lot, and tried to shove the girl in his car. A teenage employee of the business heard the girl’s screams and rushed to her and pulled her from the man’s hands. He then drove off.

Lujan remains in jail.