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View Winners → Crime Jun 30, 2023
Michael Aria Javdani. | Photo courtesy of the city of Riverside
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Investigators believe a probationer currently in jail on robbery charges is responsible for at least seven burglaries in Riverside, officials said Friday.
Michael Aria Javdani, 27, of Riverside, is facing additional burglary charges and a weapons charge after police served a search warrant at his residence last Tuesday in the 4000 block of Sedgwick Avenue. Officers recovered an unregistered handgun and evidence linking the suspect to the additional burglaries.
“Late last month, the Riverside Police Department’s Property Crimes Unit began following up on a commercial burglary that occurred in the 2000 block of Iowa Avenue,” Riverside officials said in a statement. “Several thousand dollars was stolen from an ATM machine inside the building and damage was caused during the burglary.”
From video of the break-in, police recognized Javdani, who officials described as “a local man on probation for theft crimes.”
As the investigation progressed, detectives noted several other crimes to which they believed Javdani was involved, claiming “he was responsible for at least 7 burglaries and/or thefts where he would break in to the business and steal money from the cash register, steal money from the safe, and in two cases, steal the safe,” officials said.
The burglarized local businesses included a sushi restaurant, tea vendor and sandwich shop, officials said. Javdani allegedly struck the Riverside County Department of Child Support Services building and the VIP Nightclub two times each, stealing several thousand dollars from an ATM machine and safe and causing building damage.
Investigators discovered Javdani had recently been arrested and booked into jail by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department for an unrelated burglary and home invasion robbery.
They then obtained a search warrant for Javdani’s residence. In addition to the allegedly incriminating burglary evidence, police also found a one-wheeled electric skateboard on which Javdani allegedly was seen riding away after some of the burglaries.
Investigators learned that someone on social media had recently posted about their one-wheeled electric skateboard being stolen in May and believed it may be the same device.
“That victim was contacted and detectives were able to confirm by serial number that it was his property,” officials said. “The skateboard was valued at over $2,000.”
Javdani is currently on probation in Riverside and San Bernardino counties for theft-related crimes, and police intend to file additional charges for the crimes he allegedly committed in Riverside. Javdani remains in custody without bail at a Riverside County Sheriff’s jail facility.
“It was good old-fashioned police work that led our detectives to identifying this repeat offender breaking into our local businesses,” Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez said in a statement. “But it’s also an important reminder to keep records on expensive and unique property just in case anything were to happen. Because the owner of this skateboard kept a receipt with his serial number, along with his tenacity on social media, he’s back riding it again.”
Police urged anyone with information on the burglaries and arrest to contact Detective Victoria Mutuku at 951-353-7209 or VMutuku@RiversideCA.gov. Those wishing to provide anonymous tips can email RPDTips@RiversideCA.gov or use the Riverside Police Department’s Atlas 1 mobile app via the “Send a Message” feature.
The app can be downloaded at apps.apple.com/us/app/atlas-1/id1509528933 for iOS or play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.atlasone for Android.
