Man Indicted in Four Hollywood Slayings

A grand jury indictment unsealed today charges a man with murdering four people, including an 8-year-old girl and her parents, in Hollywood.

The indictment, returned Friday, accuses Alberd Tersargsyan of the Dec. 11, 2008, murders of Khachik Safaryan and his daughter, Lusine; the March 11, 2010, sniper-style shooting of Julie Kates; and the March 26, 2010, slaying of Safaryan's wife, Karine Hokobyan.

Prosecutors have not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty against the 65-year-old defendant, who was charged last year and had been awaiting a hearing to determine if there was enough evidence to proceed to trial.

The indictment includes a new special circumstance allegation— murder of a witness—involving the 8-year-old girl, along with the special circumstance allegations of lying in wait and multiple murders that Tersargsyan was already facing.

Safaryan and his daughter were found dead in the 1200 block of Tamarind Avenue in Hollywood by the couple's then-12-year-old daughter when she came home from school.

Several months later, the girl found her mother's body slumped in the driver's seat of her Honda SUV in the 5800 block of Lexington Avenue, and was taken into protective custody.

Authorities believe Tersargsyan shot Kates, a female acquaintance, to death on Sunset Boulevard.

He was initially charged in April 2010 with Hakobyan's murder, with prosecutors adding the three additional murders in August 2010.

The indictment supersedes that case—which will be dismissed—and means that the case will move forward without a preliminary hearing.

Tersargsyan, who is jailed without bail, is due back at the downtown Los Angeles courthouse Oct. 17 for a pretrial hearing.

— City News Service