Man indicted in robbery string

Erica D. Johnson

Thursday, March 27, 2003 | 9:55 a.m.

A California man was indicted Wednesday on charges stemming from a string of drugstore robberies in Clark County, and prosecutors believe he could have robbed dozens more.

The document, unsealed before District Judge Gene Porter, charges Warith Deen Abdullah, 22, with 15 felony counts, including robbery with use of a deadly weapon and burglary while in possession of a deadly weapon.

The charges stem from four separate armed robberies between September 2000 and April 2001 at stores including Sav-On Drugs on East Tropicana Avenue and Raley's on South Lamb Boulevard.

The document names seven individual clerks or cashiers who were held at gunpoint during the robberies, Chief Deputy District Attorney Victoria Villegas said.

"He terrorized them," she said. "Some people even quit the next day."

Villegas said it was impossible to estimate how much money was stolen during the robberies.

Abdullah has not yet been assigned an attorney.

Prosecutors think Abdullah may also be responsible for about 26 other armed robberies at stores throughout Clark County, including Vons and Albertson's, Villegas said.

Some businesses were hit more than once, she said.

Abdullah is serving a prison sentence in California in connection with similar robberies in that state.

He is being held at the Clark County Detention Center without bail under an inter-state agreement in which prisoners can be taken to other states to clear up pending charges, Villegas said.

Abdullah is scheduled to be arraigned before District Judge John McGroarty April 3.