PASADENA — Police Saturday tracked down a burglary suspect with the help of a Pasadena woman who walked in on an intruder, then managed to take a picture of his car before he fled, officials said.
Hamlet Tavanian, 44, of Glendale is suspected of burglarizing the woman’s home in the 00 block of South Grand Avenue about 6:30 p.m. Friday, Pasadena police Lt. Jason Clawson said.
A woman walked in on the break-in, causing the burglar to flee, he said. The suspect jumped into a nearby car, but the woman managed to take a photograph of the vehicle before it sped away, which included the license plate number.
Investigators went to the home of the registered owner Saturday and identified Tavanian as a suspect in the burglary, Clawson said. He wasn’t hard to find, as investigators found he was already in the custody of Burbank police after being arrested on suspicion of drug possession in their city.
The car involved in the burglary was recovered, and contained “items consistent with stolen property,” Clawson said.
According to county booking records, Tavanian was being held without bail pending an appearance Monday in Burbank Superior Court.
He has several prior drug- and theft-related convictions, court records show, as well as a drug-related case pending against him in Glendale Superior Court.