Metro Bus Groper Arrested

A 16-year-old girl, fed up that a transient had groped her three times on Metro buses as they ran up Van Nuys Boulevard, took a picture of the man, which led to his arrest, deputies said Thursday.

Deputies arrested Majdeddin Nahvi, 59, on Tuesday. He was described as a transient with a Canoga Park address.

The serial assaults took place between Aug. 27 and the end of September on the Route 761 bus line, on Van Nuys Boulevard between Vanowen Street and Burbank Boulevard.

Each time, the man sat next to the girl, covered them with a sweater and then touched her.

Detectives with the sheriff's Special Victims Bureau distributed a crime bulletin with the photo to local police agencies.

Los Angeles police bicycle officers in Van Nuys spotted the suspect Tuesday and arrested him, deputies said.

Nahvi was booked for two counts of suspicion of misdemeanor sexual battery, and one count of annoying a child. As he was being arraigned, additional charges were filed and he now faces five misdemeanor counts, deputies said.

He remained jailed on $100,000 bail.

Deputies said other girls or women may have been assaulted, and asked any other possible victims to call the sheriff's Special Victims Bureau at (562) 946-7960. Tips can also be emailed to specialvictims@lasd.org .

- City News Service