Police ask for public’s help finding Armenian national
By Jason Kandel, Staff Writer
Los Angeles Daily News, CA
Dec 17 2004
Slaying suspect still at large
NORTH HOLLYWOOD — Police sought the public’s help Thursday in
finding an Armenian national suspected in the Oct. 9 slaying of a
former professional boxer in a dispute over a credit-card scheme.
Hovik “John” Mankyan, 42, is suspected in the shooting death of Arsen
Aivazian, 30, of North Hollywood.
Mankyan, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for an armed assault
in 1991, is suspected of shooting Aivazian at Valley Plaza Park after
a dispute involving an organized-crime operation, police said.
Aivazian — a former welterweight boxer — punched Mankyan, who
pulled a gun and shot Aivazian three times in the chest, officials
said. He then fled with a man, identified as Alfred Gazaryan, 49,
in a light-color Toyota Camry.
Aivazian was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
“We’ve used every resource we can think of, and have not been able to
track him down,” said Detective Mike Coffey of the Los Angeles Police
Department’s North Hollywood Division. “We’d like to see closure in
this case.”
Mankyan is described as 5-foot-8, 180 pounds, with black hair and
brown eyes, and a tattoo on his upper left arm. He has ties to North
Hollywood and Glendale.
Gazaryan, who is wanted for questioning, is described as 5-foot-10
and 180 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.
Mankyan and Gazaryan, who was convicted in 1995 of corporal punishment
on a child, met in state prison, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call North Hollywood homicide
detectives at (818) 623-4075. Or, after hours, call the watch commander
at (818) 623-4016.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress