City News Service, CA
April 12, 2005 Tuesday
Threat Arrests
PASADENA
Two young men of Armenian descent were arrested after they yelled
“all white people should die” and threatened — but did not harm — a
number of people, Pasadena police said today. The alleged threats
were made Sunday after the suspects — Avedis Sankikian, 21, and
Hovig Gedjekoushian, 24 — accompanied by two women, went to an area
where a sister of one of the women had been killed in a traffic
crash, Pasadena police Lt. Randell K. Taylor said. They got out of a
vehicle — which they left in the middle of Sierra Madre Boulevard,
across from Pasadena High School — and set up a memorial for the
fatal victim, police said. Several passers-by told them not to “leave
that stuff in the neighborhood because it looks bad and another
warned they would get a ticket,” Taylor said. He said the suspects
“followed (one passer-by), jumped a fence and chased him into his
house.” According to Taylor, the suspects “made tons of derogatory
statements about white people, and saying they were Middle
Easterners, ‘we will bomb you, and remember 9/11,”‘ Taylor said. The
suspects then allegedly threatened every “white” person they saw,
said Taylor. Witnesses said the suspects waved weapons, variously
described as bats, a metal pole, or a leather strap. The suspects
threatened to beat up passers-by “but didn’t touch anyone,” said
Taylor. He said the two men were arrested about 11:30 that evening at
a parking lot near Washington Boulevard and Hill Avenue. The two were
booked in Pasadena City Jail on suspicion of making criminal threats
and held on $50,000 bail each. Taylor said the pair appeared to have
been drinking heavily. Anyone who may have been victimized by the
suspects was asked to call Taylor at (626) 744-4517, or the watch
commander at (626) 744-4620.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress