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Man charged with obstruction of justice in Lakewood missing woman case

Posted at 11:55 AM, Dec 12, 2016
and last updated 2016-12-12 20:22:28-05

A man has been charged after the disappearance of a 24-year-old Lakewood mother.

Ammar Sami, 21, of North Olmsted was indicted Friday by a grand jury on an obstruction of justice charge. 

Police say he provided false information to investigators from the Lakewood Police Department and the FBI investigating the disappearance of Roaa S. Al-Dhannoon.

"We know he tried to lead us down the wrong path with some statements he told us," said Lakewood Police Chief Tim Malley.

Roaa was last seen at her Edgewater apartment during the evening of Oct.16. She was reported missing on Oct. 19 by a family member.

Police said he lied about being alone the night Roaa disappeared. Police said he was with Roaa's ex-husband shopping at a store.

Al-Dhannoon came to the USA as a refugee from Iraq. Friends said she came for a better life. She works as a cook at Aladdin's in Lakewood.

"Roaa loved her life in America, loved her son, loved her family," said friend and co-worker Dani Krasnicki. "We miss her terribly," added Krasnicki.

Al-Dhannoon is described as being approximately 5-foot, 4 inches tall, weighing approximately 130 pounds. She has brown hair and brown eyes.

Her disappearance is believed to be suspicious because Roaa is a mother and, according to friends, would not be away from her young child.

Previously Al-Dhannoon’s ex-husband, Fahad Mohammed Saeed, was charged with violating a restraining order for having contact with Al-Dhannoon and their 3-year-old son prior to her going missing. He was not charged in connection to his ex-wife's disappearance.

Saeed is currently free on bond and scheduled for a pre-trial on Jan. 17 in the Lakewood Municipal Court.

Sami has a bond set at $250,000 and an arraignment on Dec. 23 in the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court.

The Lakewood Police Department and the FBI continue to investigate the disappearance of Al-Dhannoon. Anyone with information can call Lakewood Police at 216-521-6773 or the FBI. at 216-522-1400. A reward is offered for information leading to locating Al-Dhannoon.