A 40-year-old man already on high-risk probation has been arrested in connection with the theft of master keys for the Viejas Outlet mall, after deputies say he and a second man were caught on surveillance cameras entering and leaving the casino property in a gray Dodge Journey. San Diego County Sheriff's deputies identified the suspect as Hajar Abdulla, who authorities say had an extensive criminal history involving narcotics, theft and robbery.
The theft happened around 11:18 a.m. on a Thursday at Viejas Casino in Alpine, according to FOX 5 San Diego. Surveillance footage showed two men arriving at the casino in the Dodge Journey, and authorities said a passenger in the vehicle made off with a master set of keys belonging to the Viejas Outlets. As reported by Times of San Diego, deputies and Viejas security worked together to share information and pin down who was behind the theft.
License Plate Cameras Crack the Case
Investigators leaned on an automated license plate reader system to identify who owned the gray Dodge Journey spotted on casino surveillance, per the Times of San Diego report. A records check on the vehicle's owner revealed the driver was on high-risk probation with an address in El Cajon, authorities said.
That lead sent Alpine Station deputies to the El Cajon residence, where they contacted homeowners at about 6:30 p.m. the Friday before the arrest. Those homeowners reportedly reached the probationer on his cell phone, and deputies went on to identify him as Hajar Abdulla, 40. Deputies have said Abdulla was on probation with a lengthy record spanning narcotics, theft and robbery offenses.
Keys Recovered, Replacement Cost Estimated
Deputies arrested Abdulla, who surrendered the stolen keys, and the set was returned to Viejas Casino. The estimated cost to replace the outlet mall's locks and keys was $10,000, officials said.
Jason Phillips said the license plate reader system played a critical role in apprehending suspects who posed a threat to the community, crediting the camera network with supporting public safety and law enforcement efforts to identify, locate and apprehend criminal offenders. Authorities had not immediately released further details about the second suspect seen with Abdulla on surveillance footage, and the FOX 5 report noted the investigation remained ongoing at the time it was published.
