On October 22, Burbank Police responded to a call from the loss prevention department at TJ Maxx, located at 1651 Victory Pl., regarding three individuals caught stealing from the store. The loss prevention department had been investigating an employee, Hyk Avalyan, a male aged 23, based on a call made to the store’s tip line, for several months on suspicion of embezzlement.
After Burbank Police arrived on the scene Tuesday at 5:45 p.m. and reviewed the evidence, officers arrested Mr. Avalyan and two other individuals, Ruzan Martirosyan, a female aged 50, and Davit Avalyan, a male aged 23, all Glendale residents, for felony embezzlement.
After the tip was called in to TJ Maxx loss prevention, seven incidents were recorded and cataloged. On August 20, the employee, Mr. Hyk Avalyan, scanned and charged the purchaser for two items, but put 11 items in bags, with a declared loss of $670. Subsequent incidents on August 29, September 4, 17 and 25, and on October 3 and 10 followed a similar pattern. The other suspects, Ms. Martirosyan or Mr. Davit Avalyan, were charged for only a few of the total items put in bags that they then took out of the store.
October 22 was the eighth and final incident, when TJ Maxx loss prevention called BPD in to arrest the suspects. The total loss over the past two months totals over $3,400. All three suspects were booked into the Burbank Jail and due in court tomorrow, October 25.