Michelle Melikian and Rodney Kirk
FRESNO – Two days after Christmas, detectives with the Fresno HEAT (Help Eliminate Auto Theft) arrested 31-year-old Michelle Melikian of Clovis on charges of burglary, receiving stolen property and a probation violation.
Melikian was squatting in a recently vacated rental property on W. San Carlos after breaking in, setting up residence and even charging rent to two other people living there.
In the garage of the residence police recovered items stolen from a home on the 2500 block of W. Bullard Avenue in Fresno. Melikian and her partner in crime, 37-year-old Rodney Keck, were clearly captured on surveillance cameras as they went about their thieving ways.
The Fresno HEAT’s connection to this case came about when they discovered an abandoned SUV driven by the pair. Their investigation revealed that the vehicle, stolen from out of state, was connected to the pair.
The purloined goods included a small fire pit and a Barbie accessory kit.
As for Keck, he was found early Thursday morning at another residence on the 2200 block of W. Princeton Avenue in Fresno.
Kirk was charged with auto theft, burglary and receiving stolen property, with bail set at $53,000. Although Melikian’s bail was set at $97,5000, she is not eligible for bail because of her probation violation.
