Omar Abdulsattar Ameen is expected to be extradited to Iraq.

The government of Iraq has charged Ameen with premeditated murder that happened during an ISIS takeover of the Rawah District of the Al-Anbar Province. ISIS took control of the area on June 21, 2014, and the next day investigators say Ameen was part of a four-vehicle ISIS convoy that opened fire on a home of a former Iraqi police officer on June 22.

The Iraqi government alleges Ameen fired his weapon at the victim, Ihsan Abdulhafiz Jasim, who was on the ground, killing him with a gunshot wound to the chest.

TIMELINE OF EVENTS

• June 21, 2014 – ISIS seizes control of the Rawah District of Al-Anbar Province, erects checkpoints.
• June 22, 2014 – An four-vehicle ISIS convoy opens fire on a home. The man inside returns fire, but is eventually killed. A witness says Omar Abdulsattar Ameen fired the lethal shot into the victim’s chest.
• April 11, 2014 – Intelligence officials say they have information on the murder of Jasim.
• April 12, 2018 – Court receives details about the 2014 attack. Details came from a witness who investigators say was able to identify Ameen as the shooter from ISIS videos and photos.
• May 16, 2018 – A judge in Iraq issues a warrant for Ameen’s arrest.
• June 4, 2018 – Iraqi government files request for extradition
• July 18, 2018 – American Ambassador to Iraq Douglas Silliman certifies the request by the Iraqi government
• Aug. 14, 2018 – Warrant submitted by investigators and granted by a judge in Sacramento.
• Aug. 15, 2018 – Ameen is taken into custody and has his first hearing in Sacramento
• Aug. 20, 2018 – Ameen’s next scheduled hearing.

The Iraqi government says a witness came forward and was able to identify him.

Investigators with the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms searched the Eastern Villa Apartments on Eastern Avenue. Agents took boxes of evidence from the apartment.

An intelligence report from Iraqi intelligence says Ameen worked with building material supplies and had a shopping center in the Rawah district. Investigators tied him to terrorist cells in 2004, saying he was a founder of al-Tawhid Wa al Jihad, an Al Qaida organization. They also say he was a close associate of Abu Mus’ab Al-Zaraqawi, a man at the center of many bombings, attacks and beheadings in Iraq before his death in a U.S. strike in 2006.

The report also links Ameen to an armed attack against an Iraqi army headquarters in 2006 where soldiers were taken hostage and executed.

Neighbors say they were surprised by the arrest.

“It makes me nervous. We were shocked, didn’t ssupect anything like that,” said Greg Hudson. “He didn’t do anything out of the ordinary to make you feel suspicious, just a friendly Muslim, family man.”

Former federal prosecutor Bill Portanova says, “It’s a wakeup call that bad guys can end up anywhere in the world.”

The Department of Justice says Ameen fled Iraq to Turkey and later settled in Sacramento as a purported refugee while concealing his ties to terrorist groups.

***Shirin Rajaee, Award-winning journalist Shirin Rajaee is proud to be joining the CBS family. Shirin started with KOVR in October 2015 and anchors the weekend newscasts at 5 and 10pm and reports on weeknights.

Raised in the Los Angeles area, Shirin has family in Northern California and is happy to call Sacramento her new home. “This is an exciting opportunity, living in our state capital and working with such a terrific news team at CBS13. This was simply the perfect fit.”

Before coming to KOVR, Shirin worked for ABC’s KEYT in Santa Barbara and KKFX’s Central Coast News in Santa Maria as the morning news anchor and reporter. She recently won a Golden Mike Award for Best News Reporting. Shirin’s covered a range of stories that include the Isla Vista mass shootings in 2014, the Santa Barbara Oil spill, and election coverage. Her stories have aired on shows such as America this Morning and CNN.

Shirin got her start in news working in production for CNN’s Los Angeles Bureau from 2008-2011. She also anchored an entertainment show for PBC (Persian Broadcasting Company) serving Los Angeles and international audiences.

Shirin is a University of California Los Angeles graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Communications. She furthered her studies through UCLA’s Journalism extension program.

In her free time, she loves to travel and spend time with family and friends. She’s very close with her parents and her younger brother, Sean, who is an Orthopedic Surgery resident in LA. She’s also a foodie, and you’ll probably see her trying new restaurants in town. Anything with live music, and she’s in! Fun fact: Shirin won the local Dancing with the Stars Competition in Santa Barbara in March of 2015 with her high scoring Cha-Cha performance!

Being in the community is important to Shirin. Her way of giving back is dedicating her time to organizations she’s passionate about. She’s been a master of ceremonies for a number of groups including the American Heart Association, the Dream Foundation, Pars Equality, Teddy Bear Cancer Found, The Santa Barbara International Film Festival, The Iranian American Women’s Leadership Foundation. And she now hopes to work with organizations in the Sacramento area.

Shirin’s looking forward to new adventures and can’t wait to start exploring and meeting the community!