LA police ID suspect in cafe killings

Thomas Watkins, Associated Press Writer – Fri Apr 9, 8:42 pm ET

LOS ANGELES – A man who opened fire in a North Hollywood restaurant
and killed four people following a dispute during a party last week
remained at large Friday, Los Angeles police said.

The suspect was identified at an afternoon news conference as Nerses
Arthur Galstyan, a 28-year-old Armenian national. He is also wanted on
a federal indictment for weapons charges, Police Chief Charlie Beck
said.

Galstyan was attending a birthday memorial celebration April 3 inside
the Hot Spot Cafe when he got into a dispute with several men at the
party, Beck said. In anger, Galstyan fired multiple rounds, hitting
and killing four men, the chief said.

Three men died at the scene and another died later at a hospital. Two
others were injured. The celebration was being held for an
acquaintance who had died in a traffic accident a year earlier, Beck
said.

"These are people who had some standing or relationship that may or
may not have contributed to this," Beck said. "This was not a random
act."

Los Angeles police have identified the victims as Harut Baburyan, 28;
Sarkis Karadjian, 26; Vardan Tofalyan, 31; and Hayk Yegnanyan, 25.

Most of the victims were also from Armenia, officials said.

Also Friday, a federal grand jury indicted Galstyan on suspicion of
dealing firearms without a license and possessing a weapon with an
obliterated serial number. Officials said there was physical evidence
linking Galstyan to the shooting but would not describe it, including
whether he used a gun listed in the federal indictment.

Authorities served two search warrants Friday at residences Galstyan
uses in North Hollywood and Glendale.