Palos Heights police last week arrested an employee of the Circle K gas station who had allegedly been stealing lottery tickets.
Police said they took a report on May 2 from the gas station manager about a theft of lottery tickets.
Police said an audit performed by Circle K corporate headquarters revealed that on several dates that an employee, later identified as Zaid Abu Alkheil, was working, Instant Lottery tickets went missing, totaling $2,341.
Surveillance video was obtained that allegedly showed that Abu Alkheil was taking, and trying to conceal from surveillance cameras, tickets from the lottery dispenser.
On July 10, Abu Alkheil was taken into custody for the theft.
He originally denied his involvement in the theft, but the video evidence was enough to persuade the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Felony Review unit to approve a felony count of theft over $300.
Abu Alkheil, 36, of Chicago, was processed and given a court date at the Bridgeview Courthouse.
