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Police seek suspect in fatal hit-and-run BY EUGENE TONG, Staff Writer
LA Daily News
Last Updated: 07/13/2007 09:50:15 PM PDT
GLENDALE - Police are looking for a man believed to be involved in a
hit-and-run crash that killed a 24-year-old woman earlier this week,
but their efforts were stymied Friday when an automaker refused to
cooperate with investigators trying to locate the suspect's car.
Police said Ara Grigoryan, 21, of Glendale is a "person of interest"
who matches witness descriptions of the man behind the wheel of the
black Mercedes-Benz sedan that struck and killed Elizabeth Sandoval on
Tuesday.
Grigoryan is described as about 5-foot-9, with black hair and brown
eyes.
Sandoval was crossing the street at Glendale Avenue near Windsor Road
at 9:45 p.m.
Police identified the car as a 2003 black four-door Mercedes S430
sedan with a California license plate of O7TT777. It has front-end
damage.
The car is registered to one of Grigoryan's relatives, but he has been
cited for seven traffic violations over two years while driving the
car, police spokesman John Balian said. They include failure to yield
to pedestrians and three cases of speeding.
Police attempted to locate the car by requesting Mercedes-Benz
activate the vehicle's onboard tracking system.
Many recent model luxury cars are equipped with global-position
systems, allowing the vehicles to be located if they are
stolen. Police presented two separate court orders Friday, but
attorneys at the German automaker's North American headquarters in New
Jersey refused to comply.
"It's one of the most frustrating thing to ever occur in my 35 years
in law enforcement," Glendale Police Chief Randy Adams said. "We're
very disappointed we haven't received their cooperation. If the GPS
was activated, we could pinpoint the vehicle in a matter of moments."
A message left with Frank Berenz, an attorney representing
Mercedes-Benz, was not immediately returned Friday.
The Glendale City Council is expected to approve a $10,000 reward for
information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the hit-and-run
suspect.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich will also be
asking for another $10,000 reward to be provided by the county.
Anyone with any information can call the Glendale Police Department at
(818) 548-4840. They can also call the Glendale Crime Stoppers
anonymous hotline at (818) 507-7867.
[email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected])
(818) 546-3304
LA Daily News
Last Updated: 07/13/2007 09:50:15 PM PDT
GLENDALE - Police are looking for a man believed to be involved in a
hit-and-run crash that killed a 24-year-old woman earlier this week,
but their efforts were stymied Friday when an automaker refused to
cooperate with investigators trying to locate the suspect's car.
Police said Ara Grigoryan, 21, of Glendale is a "person of interest"
who matches witness descriptions of the man behind the wheel of the
black Mercedes-Benz sedan that struck and killed Elizabeth Sandoval on
Tuesday.
Grigoryan is described as about 5-foot-9, with black hair and brown
eyes.
Sandoval was crossing the street at Glendale Avenue near Windsor Road
at 9:45 p.m.
Police identified the car as a 2003 black four-door Mercedes S430
sedan with a California license plate of O7TT777. It has front-end
damage.
The car is registered to one of Grigoryan's relatives, but he has been
cited for seven traffic violations over two years while driving the
car, police spokesman John Balian said. They include failure to yield
to pedestrians and three cases of speeding.
Police attempted to locate the car by requesting Mercedes-Benz
activate the vehicle's onboard tracking system.
Many recent model luxury cars are equipped with global-position
systems, allowing the vehicles to be located if they are
stolen. Police presented two separate court orders Friday, but
attorneys at the German automaker's North American headquarters in New
Jersey refused to comply.
"It's one of the most frustrating thing to ever occur in my 35 years
in law enforcement," Glendale Police Chief Randy Adams said. "We're
very disappointed we haven't received their cooperation. If the GPS
was activated, we could pinpoint the vehicle in a matter of moments."
A message left with Frank Berenz, an attorney representing
Mercedes-Benz, was not immediately returned Friday.
The Glendale City Council is expected to approve a $10,000 reward for
information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the hit-and-run
suspect.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich will also be
asking for another $10,000 reward to be provided by the county.
Anyone with any information can call the Glendale Police Department at
(818) 548-4840. They can also call the Glendale Crime Stoppers
anonymous hotline at (818) 507-7867.
[email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected])
(818) 546-3304