Glendale News Press
Jul 18, 2007
Police nab hit-and-run suspect
Authorities say man arrested in Mexico City was apparently heading for his
native Armenia.
By Jason Wells
CENTRAL GLENDALE – The man suspected of driving the car that struck and
killed a 24-year-old Glendale woman last week was in police custody
Wednesday after he was caught in Mexico City apparently trying to fly to
Spain, authorities said.
Ara Grigoryan, 20, had eluded detectives for nearly a week after he
allegedly struck Elizabeth Sandoval with a Mercedes-Benz sedan on July 10 as
she jaywalked across South Glendale Avenue just south of East Windsor Road.
Sandoval died at the scene after being flung more than 75 feet, police said.
At a press conference Wednesday inside the Glendale Police Station,
Elizabeth Sandoval’s sister, Jackie, held back tears as she thanked the
public for helping authorities catch Grigoryan.
`It’s a bittersweet day for my family,’ she said. `Not many things have made
me laugh or smile, but getting this guy has been the best news I’ve heard
since last Tuesday.’
Grigoryan had apparently flown to Mexico City from Tijuana, possibly on
Friday, where immigration authorities there detained him because of problems
with his travel documents, Glendale Police Chief Randy Adams said.
Through U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland
Security, Mexican authorities discovered Grigoryan’s outstanding warrant and
detained him for deportation, Adams said.
Authorities believe Grigoryan had planned to return to his native Armenia,
Adams said.
Police said they weren’t sure when Grigoryan had immigrated to the United
States, or whether he was a legal resident, but said they had given him
about a dozen traffic citations over the years – one for reportedly failing
to yield to a pedestrian.
He will likely face felony hit-and-run charges and may also be charged with
vehicular homicide, depending on how the Los Angeles County District
Attorney’s Office decides to proceed, Adams said.
Grigoryan’s arrest caps a weeklong manhunt that developed quickly after
Glendale Police solicited help from the public concerning his and the
Mercedes’ whereabouts.
The black sedan was found abandoned Saturday in Van Nuys after Mercedes-Benz
of North America authorized the activation of its GPS device.
But that development didn’t come until after detectives publicly chided the
car company for ignoring two court orders demanding that the device be
activated.
The Glendale City Council and the county Board of Supervisors approved a
combined $20,000 reward Tuesday night for information leading to the arrest
and conviction of a suspect.
Investigators are still examining the car, which had some body work done on
its front end to repair damage allegedly sustained in the accident, Adams
said.
Police are also trying to determine whether Grigoryan received any help in
fleeing the country. Anyone who helped him – either financially or by
withholding information – would be charged as an accessory, Adams said.
Jackie Sandoval asked the public to come forward with information that might
shed light on any support network.
`If they were helping him out in any way, they helped him kill my sister,’
she said.
Authorities and city officials hailed public participation as a crucial
complement to the around-the-clock detective work that helped track
Grigoryan.
`The community involvement really helped this case along, and we’re hoping
that continues,’ Mayor Ara Najarian said before the announcement.
Elizabeth Sandoval’s father, Guadalupe, spoke through a translator as he
thanked the public for their support and the authorities for their
diligence.
`If my daughter, if she could see it, she wouldn’t believe how much
everybody has come out to help,’ he said.
Grigoryan could be arraigned as early as Friday, Glendale Police Officer
John Balian said.