A man was arrested Saturday after allegedly attempting to take a young girl from a very busy Marina Park in downtown Kirkland while her family was just yards away.

Arton G. Katkoff, 26, of Kirkland waived his appearance in court on Monday, as the judge found probable cause to hold him without bail. A charging decision in the case has not yet been made.

The man allegedly left a local establishment’s balcony and ran into the Marina Park parking lot near the fountain and flagpole just after 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, according to court documents. He then approached the 10-year-old girl, her young sister and a teenage acquaintance. Katkoff then began asking the younger girls questions like “how old are you?” and “where are your parents?” The little girl became concerned and pointed to where her parents were sitting in an outdoor area approximately 100 feet away, the documents continue.

The man then became aggressive, even yelling at the teenage acquaintance. The teenager, a male, yelled back at Katkoff “they are with me!” The man then attempted to pick up the 10-year-old girl from under her arms to pull her away from the teenager, the documents continue.

A friend of Katkoff, who observed the altercation, told police that the girls’ legs came off the ground during the struggle. The teenager managed to pull the 10-year-old girl away from Katkoff and tell them to run to their parents. Katkoff then got “into the face” of the teenager, who thought he would have to fight Katkoff off to get away.

Katkoff began asking the teenager “what are you doing?” with the teenager replying “just leave, just leave.”

The younger girls’ father came to the teenager’s aid, as did Katkoff’s friend. A brief verbal altercation took place before Katkoff and his friend left the park, the documents continue.

The family contacted police and the man was found and arrested a few blocks from the park.

“The girl is fine and the mother is probably more shook up than the daughter at this point,” Kirkland Police Sgt. Rob Saloum said on Sunday. “When he was taken into custody he didn’t want to speak with us.”

The man refused to cooperate with law enforcement and gave no motive for his actions. Court documents state that Katkoff told police post miranda rights that “it looked like a bad situation,” but would not elaborate on why he left the balcony of the restaurant and attempted to take the girl. He did tell police he suffers from a bi-polar disorder.

The man was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping but according to police he will most likely face assault charges. Police are investigating whether the man has any further mental health issues.

Katkoff will have a second hearing on Wednesday in King County Superior Court.

Editor’s note: The Reporter has corrected the gender of the teenager in this story from the original version. The Reporter regrets the error and strives for accuracy in all reportage.