Police announced Saturday that they had detained two men suspected of working together to crash a Glendale, California, wedding and steal expensive gifts from the reception.
The Glendale Police Department identified the grand theft suspects as Los Angeles residents Armean Shirehjini and Andranik Avetisyan. They allegedly stole $60,000 in cash and a gift package containing dozens of checks.
According to police, the incident occurred last week at the Renaissance Banquet Hall. The details of the heist are limited, but officials said Shirehjini, who is unknown to the victims, fled the venue with the gifts and jumped into a getaway car driven by Avetisyan. They escaped together in a black SUV.
Glendale Police Burglary Detectives spent the following week identifying the suspects using video surveillance and other resources, eventually arresting them at Shirehjini’s Sherman Oaks house on Friday.
Police learned that Shirehjini, the major suspect, was carrying a weapon when he was arrested. Officials did not specify if he tried to use it, but no rounds were fired.
Detectives conducted search warrants at both defendants’ houses and discovered a large sum of cash and checks payable to the victims from the wedding. In addition, detectives discovered multiple guns and assorted substances in both homes.
“Detectives are still processing a significant amount of evidence and will continue their work through the weekend, as the case is an ongoing investigation,” said the department’s spokesperson.
Anyone with additional information about this inquiry is asked to call the Glendale Police Burglary Detectives at 818-548-3127.
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