Reprinted from a previous issue of the Ventura Breeze
In May the Ventura Police Department Street Crimes Unit began an investigation into reports that two victims’ diamonds had been switched for fake stones by the suspect at his jewelry store.
The suspect, identified as 54 year old West Hills resident Ara Ghazarian, is the owner operator of Jewelry Unlimited in 4700 block of Telephone Rd.
One victim noticed something was wrong with her wedding ring after she had a new setting made by Ghazarian. The victim had this ring inspected at a different jewelry store and discovered that the original diamond from her wedding had been replaced with a “Moissanite” stone .The second victim took a family heirloom ring with a unique style of diamond into Ghazarian’s business to have minor repair performed. She also discovered that the diamond from her ring had been switched out with a Moissanite stone.
Based on Ghazarian’s actions and additional evidence discovered during this investigation detectives determined that he intentionally switched the victims’ real diamonds with fake stones with an estimated total loss of over $8,000.00.
On June 16, 2016 Ventura Police Department Street Crimes detectives served a search warrant at Ghazarian’s business and took him into custody on two counts of Grand Theft.
On June 28 Ghazarian committed suicide in a home owned by a relative in Tarzana by hanging himself.
