Police Make Arrests in $60K Theft by Wedding Crasher

UPDATE Sep 8, 2025 5:52 PM CDT

Police in Glendale, California, have arrested two men accused of stealing $60,000 worth of gifts from newlyweds, reports NBC News. One man stole the gift box from a wedding reception and the other acted as the getaway driver, say police. Armean Shirehjini, 41, and Andranik Avetisyan, 37, were in custody Monday. Police say they found cash and checks intended for the couple when making the arrests, along with guns and "various narcotics."

Sep 3, 2025 6:53 AM CDT

As guests toasted the newlyweds at a Los Angeles banquet hall, a thief made off with a wedding gift box holding $60,000 or more in cash and checks—vanishing into the night before anyone noticed. Now, police in Glendale are searching for the suspect, who was caught on camera fleeing in a black Mercedes SUV just after midnight Sunday, NBC News reports. He apparently crashed the event and had been there for at least an hour and a half—going to the bathroom and even ordering a drink at one point—before snatching the gifts, ABC 7 reports.

According to police, the suspect—a bald man dressed in black—was caught on surveillance cameras grabbing the box from a table during the celebration at the Renaissance Banquet Hall, northeast of Hollywood, before quickly exiting the venue. Footage shows him fleeing the scene and entering the passenger seat of what authorities described as a "newer black Mercedes SUV." Glendale police released security photos of the suspect in hopes the public can help track him down.

story continues below

"He's watching the dance floor. He's watching our family. It's so scary to look back and see that there was a stranger at such a private event, and such an intimate event. It's such a violation," the bride says. She says the box could have held as much as $100,000 in cash and checks.