In a recent court decision, Vacho Shahen, a 39-year-old man from Las Vegas, has been found guilty on 16 out of 17 felony charges related to a series of home invasions that terrorized the Los Angeles area back in 2016. According to KTLA, the conviction comes after a three-week trial, which included DNA evidence linking Shahen to the crimes. Metropolitan communities from Santa Monica to Downey were gripped by fear during the two-week period in which these home invasions occurred.
The most harrowing of these incidents took place on Adelaide Drive in Santa Monica, where the said perpetrator shot a homeowner during a failed robbery attempt. The homeowner who was shot in the torso, fortunately, survived the encounter. Shahen, as reported by KTLA, was purportedly wearing a "Scream" mask during the attack—an unsettling detail that harkens back to the terror of horror films, but with real-life consequences.
Authorities were able to connect the failed Santa Monica robbery to additional break-ins in Beverly Hills and Downey by utilizing DNA evidence, which played a crucial role in the investigation. Shahen was arrested in Philadelphia in 2018, and after years of legal procedures, his conviction appeared as a testament to the persistence and coordination of law enforcement agencies, as per the City of Santa Monica.
Shahen's sentencing is set for June 24. For additional information regarding this investigation, please contact Sgt. Chad Goodwin at 310-458-8931 or Lt. Erika Aklufi at 310-458-8493.
