Photo: Ali Maadarani
Ventura County – It may be presumed that the average car thief steals a vehicle when and where opportunity presents itself, with little planning or forethought, relegating that sort of crime to the “lazy crook” column on the Nefarious Behaviors Spreadsheet.
But the May 9th arrests of Palmdale residents Armida Herrera, 34, Ali Maadarani, 32, and Walnut resident 31-year-old Johnny Avalos point to the fact that not all car thieves are just hopping into unlocked cars and roaring off into the night simply because they can.
Armida Herrera
The arrests of Herrera, Maadarani, and Avalos were the result of a two-month long investigation conducted by the Thousand Oaks Police Department’s Special Enforcement Unit looking into the reported disappearance of “multiple vehicles from a car dealership in Ventura,” according to Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sgt. Greg Gibson.
After an undoubtedly careful review of the victim dealership’s employee roster, it was discovered that Maadarani not only worked there, but he had been previously employed at another local area dealership where “a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee had been stolen” during his tenure there.
Perhaps intrigued by the fact that Maadarani had been working at two separate car dealerships which had suffered cars stolen right off their inventory lots, further investigation into the matter provided sufficient “probable cause” to arrest him and charge him with 10851(a)VC, Unlawful Taking of a Vehicle.
Following his arrest, detectives located the purloined Jeep in the possession of Herrera, whereupon she was transported to Ventura County Jail and charged with Grand Theft Auto, Unlawful Taking of a Vehicle, Embnezzlement over $950, and Conspiracy. Pursuant to futher investigation, Avalos was contacted and arrested on an outstanding Santa Barbara County probation violation warrant.
Photos: Courtesy Ventura County Jail Booking
