Claremont Police Arrest Four in Connection to Stealing, Selling Jewelry

Three people have been arrested for allegedly stealing jewelry from Claremont homes, and a fourth person has been nabbed for allegedly selling that property from his Los Angeles jewelry store, police announced Monday.

According to Claremont Police Lieutenant Shelley Vander Veen, it all started with two residential burglaries on Dec. 26, in the 2200 and 2600 blocks of Bonnie Brae.

"During follow-up investigation, the license plate of the suspect vehicle, a white BMW, was captured on a surveillance video after the suspects purchased gasoline at a nearby gas station following the burglaries," Vander Veen said in a press release.

That BMW was located by police a few days later, on Dec. 29, in Huntington Park-- leading to the arrest of 20-year-old Juan Flores, she said.

Then, on Jan. 3, Claremont detectives "conducted surveillance" on a house in South Central Los Angeles where another possible burglary suspect, 20-year-old Alberto Silva, was living.

"Stolen property was recovered during a search of his residence," Vander Veen said, adding that Silva was arrested at that time.

Detectives went to another house in the area that same day in search of a third suspect, 19-year-old Kevin Pena, who was also arrested when police found more stolen property while searching his residence, according to the lieutenant. 

The next day, on Jan. 4, Claremont detecitves went to Paul’s Jewelry in the Jewelry District of Los Angeles after learning that one of the suspects had sold some of the stolen jewelry to the owner.

"The owner, identified as 60 year-old Nejatollah “Paul” Javidzad, resident of Beverly Hills, was arrested for failing to comply with laws governing second hand dealers as well as possession of stolen property," Vander Veen said.

According to Vander Veen, the District Attorney's office filed two felony counts of residential burglary against Flores, Silva and Pena on Monday.