Glendale police arrested three people in connection to heroin use and sales on Monday.

For the past few weeks, police have been receiving complaints concerning suspicious activity, possibly drug related, in the area of a strip mall at Honolulu and Glenwood avenues. After a police investigation it was discovered that Vahagn Stepanyan, 26, of La Crescenta might have some connection to the activity.

On Monday at about 6 p.m. police officers, including those from the GPD’s Narcotics Detail, observed a silver Toyota Camry with a lone occupant driving in the alley behind the liquor store. The vehicle parked and officers allegedly observed another man, later identified as Stepanyan, exit the rear gates of a property on the north side of the alley. The Toyota traveled down to meet with Stepanyan who leaned into the passenger side of the vehicle and appeared to hand the driver an unknown object. Moments later the two parted, the vehicle drove away and Stepanyan went back inside the property via the back gate.

Officers then witnessed a white Lexus arrive at the location with two men, later identified as the driver as Tigran Zmrukhtyan ,19, from Pasadena and the passenger as Nverik Yaghoomian, 26, of Glendale. The vehicle parked in the parking lot near the liquor store not far from the rear gate, which was identified as leading to a home in the 2800 block of Hermosa Avenue. The two males stayed in the vehicle and officers reported observing Stepanyan walk over to the driver’s window begin a conversation with Zmrukhtyan and it appeared he handed him an unknown object.

Officers moved in and detained all three suspects. As a detective was approaching the vehicle he reported witnessing Yaghoomian moving toward the passenger window. After an investigation it officers allegedly found a prescription pill inside the vehicle, and a plastic baggy containing what appeared to be heroin.

Initially Stepanyan reportedly gave officers a home address in Burbank but it was later discovered that he was living with a relative in a section of her Hermosa Avenue home. Due to the fact that Stepanyan and relative that owned the property were both on parole, (Stepanyan was on parole for grand theft) the officers conducted a parole search of the location.

Inside Stepanyan’s one bedroom apartment officers allegedly found multiple small plastic baggies, digital scales, a clear plastic baggie containing what appeared to be heroin, prescription medication which he did not have a prescription in his name issued, heroin paraphernalia, empty hypodermic needles, a hypodermic needle loaded with what appeared to be heroin, a box of cartridges and a gun.

Zmrukhtyan and Yaghoomian were arrested for possession of heroin and Stepanyan was arrested for sales of heroin.