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Valley Village murder suspect arrested in Seattle
Nerses Arthur Galstyan, 28, has been identified by the LAPD as the suspect alleged to have shot and killed four men at a North Hollywood cafe.
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The man suspected in the shooting deaths of four people inside a Valley Village restaurant was in custody today, along with his brother, according to reports from the Seattle area.
Nerses Galstyan, 28, and his brother Samuel, were arrested about 8:15 p.m. Tuesday at a home in Kenmore, Wash., located north of Seattle, according to a U.S. Marshals Service news release cited by the Seattle Times.
Los Angeles Police Department officials could not immediately confirm the arrests. Officials with the Marshals Service could not be reached for immediate comment.
It was unclear what role Samuel Galstyan may have played in the shootings.
LAPD officials previously identified Nerses Galstyan as the suspect in the April 3 shooting inside the Hot Spot Mediterranean Restaurant, 11651 Riverside Drive. Four people died in the shooting, and two others were wounded.
Police said Galstyan was at the Hot Spot attending a "birthday memorial celebration'' for an acquaintance who died in an accident a year ago.
During that celebration, Galstyan "became involved in a dispute with several men at the celebration and in anger fired multiple rounds, hitting and killing four of them,'' LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said.
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Three men died at the cafe, and a fourth died at a hospital.
The deceased victims were identified by Los Angeles police as Harut Baburyan, 28, Sarkis Karadjian, 26, Vardan Tofalyan, 31, and Hayk Yegnanyan, 25.
Galstyan had been previously indicted on federal weapons charges.
The three-count indictment charges him with conspiracy, engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, said U.S. Attorney Andre Birotte. Each of the three federal counts carry a five-year prison sentence, Birotte added.
According to the indictment, Galstyan allegedly met with a confidential informant on Sept. 2 and sold two Spike's Tactical .223-caliber semiautomatic rifles with obliterated serial numbers, along with two high-capacity magazines, for $3,600.
Galstyan also allegedly told the informant he could sell rifles with 8-inch barrels for $3,000 each, and that he routinely had weapons for sale, according to the indictment.
The Los Angeles Times reported that a law enforcement source familiar with the firearms investigation said one of the shooting victims, Tofalyan, was identified as a co-conspirator with Galstyan in the weapons dealing indictment.
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Tofalyan was identified in the indictment by his initials and by the words "a now deceased unindicted co-conspirator."
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