The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has filed murder and attempted murder charges against a man and a woman in the fatal shooting of a Glendale resident outside a local restaurant in May.
Officers from the Glendale Police Department arrested 20-year-old David Rodriguez and 21-year-old Liana Mkrtchyan on Thursday, July 9, in connection with the death of 20-year-old Teodik Atanes on May 20, GPD spokesman said. A 10-year-old boy also was wounded in the shooting, the spokesman added.
Both suspects were charged with one count of murder and one count of attempted murder, according to the GPD. They were scheduled for arraignment in L.A. Superior Court in Pasadena this week. Bail for Rodriguez, of Glendale, was set at $4 million and for Mkrtchyan, of Van Nuys, at $3.05 million.
The killing occurred at around 9 p.m. May 20, while Atanes was outside a restaurant near San Fernando Road and West Chevy Chase Drive. Glendale Sgt. Christian Hauptmann said detectives believe the suspects pulled up to the location in a vehicle and the male suspect exited, approached Atanes and shot him several times from nearly point-blank range.
“It definitely appears that the victim was targeted,” Hauptmann said.
Police said the alleged gunman immediately returned to the vehicle, which the female suspect was allegedly driving, and the pair fled. A 10-year-old boy walking by the restaurant was shot in his arm during the incident, but he had been treated and released from a hospital by the following morning.
Hauptmann said GPD detectives reached a break in the case simply through “good detective work.”
“They went from having nothing to getting two in custody for it,” he said. “Just putting in the hours and following up leads.”
Hauptmann said he could not discuss a possible motive or evidence that pointed to the suspects yet. Specific details of such cases typically emerge when criminal filings are made public.
The incident represents the second homicide in Glendale this year, after a man was fatally shot and another wounded on March 29 in the 1100 block of North Central Avenue. Hauptmann said suspects have been arrested and charged in that shooting.
Through July last year, Glendale had three homicides, all stemming from one incident.
City News Service contributed to this report.
