UPDATE, OCT. 28, 12:03 P.M.: The publisher of an Irvine-based Persian magazine threatened to blackmail the family of Saeid Boustanabadi Maralan, the Laguna Beach rug store by manager and registered sex offender facing up to 60 years to life in state prison for allegedly sexually assaulting and/or exposing himself to 11 women. Maralan's wife filed a report with the Laguna Beach Police Department claiming that Javad Mostafavi on
multiple occasions demanded $3,000 or he'd print the booking photo at right on the cover of his Payam-e-Ashena publication, even sending her a mock-up of such a cover.
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Mostafavi, 70, of Irvine, has been arrested on suspicion of extortion, confirms Laguna Beach Police
Lt. Jason Kravetz.
Maralan, a 53-year-old Laguna Niguel resident who also has a daughter, had an extensive record of sexual assault convictions in Los Angeles County before his current troubles in Orange County, where he is being held in lieu of $1.5 million bail.
Most of the assaults allegedly occurred at the Sirous and Sons rug store in Laguna Beach Maralan managed.
ORIGINAL POST, OCT. 21, 5:38 P.M.: It's getting to the point where it might be easier to identify women who have not been sexually assaulted in a Laguna Beach rug store by manager (and registered sex offender) Saeid Boustanabadi Maralan.
Three
more women have come forward with allegations against the 53-year-old
Laguna Niguel man, who is married with a daughter. There are now 11
females who have accused the Sirous and Sons rug store manager as their
flasher and/or attacker.
Most damning: none of the victims know one another.
Maralan now faces a maximum sentence of 60 years to life in state prison if convicted of all the new and past charges against him in this case.
Our previous post and updates lay out the case based on the accusations of the first eight victims:
Here are the latest allegations, according to the Orange County District Attorney's office (OCDA):
Jane Doe #9: In November 2010, 61-year-old Jane Doe #9 visited Maralan's rug store
with a friend to pick up a rug she had on consignment. Maralan is
accused of taking Jane Doe #9 to the back of the store under the
pretense of showing her something while the victim's friend remained in
the front of the store. He is accused of grabbing Jane Doe #9 by the
waist and telling her he hadn't had sex in months. When Jane Doe #9
pulled away and asked him what he was doing, Maralan is accused of
telling her he wanted her hips. Jane Doe #9 was able to get away and
left the store with her friend.
Jane Doe #10: In January 2009, 47-year-old Jane Doe #10 went into Maralan's rug store
to have a rug cleaned. Maralan is accused of asking her to go to the
back room with him to look at some “antique pieces.” Jane Doe #10
declined and left the store. While the victim was driving home, Maralan
is accused of calling her and telling her he felt energy between them.
He is accused calling her repeatedly over the next few days and asking
her out to dinner, to which Jane Doe #10 finally agreed. After the date, Maralan is accused of driving Jane Doe #10 back to her
office building and parking the car. He is accused of locking the doors
and trying to touch and kiss her. After 10 minutes of Jane Doe #10
asking the defendant to unlock the doors, Maralan is accused of
unlocking the doors and meeting the victim on the passenger side of the
vehicle. He is accused of forcing himself on her, wrapping his arms
around her tightly so she could not escape, and kissing her. The
defendant is accused of rubbing his erect penis against her body through
his clothing. He is accused of asking Jane Doe #10 for “love” and to go
back to her place. The victim told him “no” and was able to release
herself from his grasp and leave the scene.
Jane Doe #11: In July 2007, 49-year-old Jane Doe #11 had her rugs picked up by a
service to have them cleaned. Two hours later, Maralan is accused of
calling Jane Doe #11 and telling her the rugs were at his store and to
come in as soon as possible so he could show her how they would be
washed. The victim declined, and Maralan is accused of repeatedly
calling and asking her to come into the Laguna Beach rug store for
various reasons regarding the cleaning of her rugs. A month later, Jane Doe #11 went to the rug store to exchange the rug.
Maralan is accused of taking the victim to the back of the store and
instructing her to stay there while he walked to the front doors and
locked them. He is accused of returning to Jane Doe #11 and coming at
her with open arms and trying to kiss her. When Jane Doe #11 pushed
against him, Maralan is accused of pulling down his pants and exposing
his penis. He is accused of grabbing the victim's hand and pulling it
towards his penis, asking her to touch it and hold it. Jane Doe #11 was
able to pull away and told Maralan she would tell his wife about the
sexual assault. Maralan is accused of pulling up his pants and unlocking
the front doors of the store to let the victim out.
The amended complaint adds two felony counts of sexual battery by
restraint and one misdemeanor count of indecent exposure to these charges based on the first eight victims: two felony counts of sexual
battery by restraint, two felony counts of forcible rape, two felony
counts of sexual penetration by a foreign object by force, and one
felony count each of attempted forcible rape, distributing pornography
to a minor, attempted forcible oral copulation, and one misdemeanor
count each of false imprisonment and indecent exposure with sentencing
enhancement allegations for committing a sexual offense against more
than one victim.
Currently being held on $1.5 million bail, Maralan has a pre-trial hearing scheduled for Nov. 17 at the Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach.
Media coverage has prompted other victims to come forward. The OCDA encourages anyone with additional information or who believes they have been a
victim to contact Supervising District Attorney
Investigator Lou Gutierrez at 714.347.8794 or Laguna Beach Police
Detective Julia Bowman at 949.497.0377.
OC Weekly Editor-in-Chief Matt Coker has been engaging, enraging and entertaining readers of newspapers, magazines and websites for decades. He spent the first 13 years of his career in journalism at daily newspapers before “graduating” to OC Weekly in 1995 as the alternative newsweekly’s first calendar editor.