18 January 2024, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Schwerin: ILLUSTRATION - A policeman holds handcuffs in his hand. Photo: Marcus Brandt/dpa (Photo by Marcus Brandt/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Glendale, California – Police in Southern California say they’ve caught the pair of men accused of turning a wedding celebration into a crime scene. Authorities allege that two men slipped into a Glendale reception, snatched a gift box containing roughly $60,000 in cash, checks, and gifts, and fled into the night.
Armean Shirehjini, 41, and Andranik Avetisyan, 37, were arrested and booked into Men’s Central Jail in Los Angeles last week. According to Glendale police, Shirehjini was identified as the man who rushed into the Renaissance Banquet Hall in the early morning hours of August 31, grabbed the gift box, and bolted outside to where Avetisyan was waiting in an SUV.
Surveillance footage from the venue helped detectives track the suspects down. A subsequent investigation led police to recover “a large amount of cash and dozens of checks made out to the victims,” according to a statement from the department. Officers also said Shirehjini was carrying a handgun at the time of his arrest, and that searches of both men’s residences turned up additional firearms and narcotics.
The brazen theft struck a particularly cruel note, coming during what should have been one of the happiest nights of George and Nadeem Farahat’s lives. Speaking to NBC Los Angeles, Nadeem said the couple was still trying to process the violation: “It’s really upsetting and I get really emotional thinking about it. We keep reminding ourselves about the positive things that came out of the day. Of course, us getting married is top of the list.”
Her husband echoed that sentiment, emphasizing the safety of family and friends. “Ultimately I think we’re thankful that everyone was safe,” George said.
Authorities have not yet disclosed whether all of the stolen money and gifts have been recovered. The Glendale Police Department also did not immediately confirm whether either suspect has obtained legal counsel.
For the newlyweds, the ordeal has left them balancing gratitude with frustration. Their wedding day, meant to be a memory they’d cherish forever, is now also tied to the reminder of what was taken. But the quick work by investigators—and the arrests now made—at least point to a measure of accountability.
What began as a shocking act of opportunism at a family gathering may ultimately end in convictions. For the Farahats, the hope is that justice, however imperfect, will allow them to put the focus back on what mattered all along: their marriage.
