From Petty Criminal to Europe’s Most Wanted Man: the Path of a Terror Suspect

 

From Petty Criminal to Europe’s Most Wanted Man: the Path of a Terror Suspect 

 By

Matthew Dalton in Brussels and

Noemie Bisserbe in Paris

Salah Abdeslam was arrested at age 21 for trying to break through the roof of a garage to steal from the cash register. Now, he is Europe’s most wanted man, suspected of participating in the terror attacks that left 130 people dead in Paris nearly two weeks ago.
The portrait emerging of Mr. Abdeslam, now 26, from people who knew him is of a young man who drifted through life without a steady job, mild-mannered but also dabbling in petty crime before becoming more radicalized. A turn toward religion led him to pray more frequently and stop drinking, people who knew him say.
Mr. Abdeslam grew up in Molenbeek, a heavily Muslim district of Brussels, and was well-known in the neighborhood. He lived with his family in a well-kept townhouse a stone’s throw from the Molenbeek mayor’s office.He would come into the store and ask if I wanted something from the market,” said Sheikh Rozina, who owns a clothing store next to the Abdeslam family home.
Investigators are still trying to piece together what role Salah Abdeslam played in the Paris attacks. They suspect he provided logistical support to the attackers and may have been tasked with inflicting further carnage that never materialized. An explosive vest found near where a signal from his cellphone was detected after the attacks suggests he may have aborted a suicide mission, police say.
sources
wsj