Man Held In Death Of 1 Of 3 LA Family Members
THOMAS WATKINS
AP
04/22/2010
LOS ANGELES (AP) – A man was charged Thursday with the March murder
of a Hollywood woman whose husband and youngest daughter were slain
in 2008.
Alberd Tersargyan, of Los Angeles, was arrested Tuesday evening at
his Hollywood-area home, Capt. Kevin McClure said. Police initially
arrested him for weapons violations after finding several handguns
and rifles, none of which were believed to be registered.
McClure said ballistics tests linked a small-caliber handgun to the
March 26 slaying of Karine Hakobyan, 38, who was shot to death in a
carport at her apartment complex. Prosecutors said she had arrived
home and parked about 8 p.m. when Tersargyan shot her in the head.
Hakobyan’s husband, Khachik Safaryan, 43, and their 8-year-old
daughter Lucine were killed in the family home on Dec. 11, 2008. All
three deaths were discovered by another daughter, who was 12 when
her father and sister were killed.
Police were continuing to investigate whether Tersargyan was involved
in the 2008 killings.
The family knew Tersargyan as a friend, McClure said. "He had the
ability to go to the house."
The break in the case came Monday when detectives received new
information that led them to investigate Tersargyan.
Authorities initially theorized the slayings were carried out
by someone involved in a romantic relationship with one of the
parents, but the investigation did not bear out that theory, said
a law enforcement official who asked not to be named because the
investigation was ongoing.
The district attorney’s office said Tersargyan is 73, but authorities
believe he is in his 50s. The law enforcement official said Tersargyan
immigrated to the U.S. from Armenia in the early 2000s and that his
legal records do not reflect his true age.
Tersargyan has no previous criminal history in the U.S., the official
said.
His arraignment was continued until May 6.
The public defender’s office did not immediately know which of its
attorneys had been assigned to Tersargyan’s case.
2010 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
