In a determined stance against retail theft, the El Cajon Police Department collaborated with JCPenney and Dick's Sporting Goods for a sting operation that led to five arrests and the recovery of stolen property. According to the City of El Cajon, the initiative, executed on Thursday, targeted real-time intervention and apprehension of suspected thieves directly at the crime scene.
Blending in with regular store operations, investigators kept surveillance, which led to the seizure of over $800 worth of merchandise. During the operation, 21-year-old Noureddin Abtini of El Cajon was caught during the operation, who was linked to a chain of thefts from local salon supply stores, totaling losses exceeding $3,000. With a criminal history that includes arrests for commercial burglary and drug-related offenses, Abtini was found with $600 in merchandise and methamphetamine during his arrest. Four other individuals, all juveniles, were netted by the sting and released to their guardians following processing.
El Cajon's Chief of Police, Mike Moulton, issued a stern warning after the operation, underscoring the department's zero-tolerance stance on criminal acts. "The El Cajon Police Department will use every resource available to hold criminals who commit these thefts accountable. Criminal Acts will not be tolerated and will have consequences for those who commit them," Moulton articulated, as per the City of El Cajon.
