Suspected Las Vegas serial burglar arrested; Asian restaurants targeted

Police announced the arrest of a man believed to be responsible for over 30 burglaries and $100,000 in damages throughout the Las Vegas Valley.

Cedric Hasan, 34, was arrested Tuesday morning on 34 felony counts of burglary of a business and one felony count of theft, Metropolitan Police Department Deputy Chief Jose Hernandez said during a news conference.

Hernandez said Hasan was taken into custody in connection with the string of burglaries that first occurred in the Spring Mountain Road corridor starting in June.

Mostly Asian restaurants were targeted, Hernandez said Tuesday. Las Vegas’ Chinatown, a 3-mile commercial strip of restaurants, supermarkets, churches and more, runs along Spring Mountain Road.

In a September news conference, Hernandez asked the community to help identify a suspect in the robberies. Officers told reporters then that the suspect wore dark colors but was often seen in bright-colored shoes. He would also cover his entire face and wear large gloves, which Hernandez said resemble welding gloves.

In October, the FBI put up a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case.

“I would like to thank all the business owners impacted by this series,” Hernandez said .

“We understand how difficult a time this was for all that were involved. When called to action, our business owners from the community came together and partnered with LVMPD, becoming a critical piece in solving this case.”

Metro said that they are still reviewing the case for additional victims or incidents that may be related. Hernandez did not reveal a motive for the events, nor could he confirm that Hasan acted alone in the burglaries.

When asked if the string could have been a group effort, Hernandez said, “Well, at this time, we’re looking at everything. Everything is possible.”

Contact Akiya Dillon at adillon@reviewjournal.com.