Police catch up with suspects responsible for burglary spree

The Claremont Police Department has provided some level of respite for victims of the city’s recent Bonnie Brae Avenue burglaries.

Three men believed to be involved with the Claremont burglary spree are behind bars. The Los Angeles County District Attorney has filed 2 felony counts of residential burglary against the three Los Angeles residents, Claremont Police announced Monday afternoon.

Two homes were burglarized on December 26 in the 2200 and 2600 block of Bonnie Brae Avenue, marking just one of several such incidents in the north Claremont neighborhood in recent months. There were no witnesses. One home was entered through an unlocked door, the other through a bedroom window, Lieutenant Shelly Vander Veen told the COURIER. Jewelry and miscellaneous electronic items such as iPads, iPhones and computers were stolen.

Police were provided with a lead on the case later that day when some of the stolen property from those burglaries was discovered in a trash can at the Shell Gas Station, 1091 W. Foothill Blvd. Surveillance footage provided police with the vehicle associated with the 3 suspects who had originally dumped the property. Police used the license plate number to locate 20-year-old Juan Flores of Los Angeles, who admitted to being involved with the burglaries, according to Lt. Vander Veen. Two of the suspects remained at large.

Claremont Detectives conducted a follow-up investigation on January 3, traveling to South Central Los Angeles to survey 20-year-old Alberto Silva and 19-year-old Kevin Pena, believed to be the other 2 suspects in the burglaries. Stolen property was found at both of their homes, according to police. Both were arrested.

A fourth man, 60-year-old Nejatollah “Paul” Javidzad of Beverly Hills, was arrested on January 4 at Paul’s Jewelry in the Jewelry District of Los Angeles after one of the suspects admitted to selling some of the stolen jewelry to Mr. Javidzad. He was charged for failing to comply with laws governing second hand dealers as well as possession of stolen property, according to police. Mr. Javidzad was arrested and later released after posting $20,000 bail.

Check out our full story Wednesday in the COURIER.