Los Angeles police identify suspect in restaurant shooting that left 4 dead

LA police ID suspect in cafe killings

LOS ANGELES — A man who opened fire in a North Hollywood restaurant and killed four people following a dispute during a party last week remained at large Friday, Los Angeles police said.

The suspect was identified at an afternoon news conference as Nerses Arthur Galstyan, a 28-year-old Armenian national. He is also wanted on a federal indictment for weapons charges, Police Chief Charlie Beck said.

Galstyan was attending a birthday memorial celebration April 3 inside the Hot Spot Cafe when he got into a dispute with several men at the party, Beck said. In anger, Galstyan fired multiple rounds, hitting and killing four men, the chief said.

Three men died at the scene and another died later at a hospital. Two others were injured. The celebration was being held for an acquaintance who had died in a traffic accident a year earlier, Beck said.

“These are people who had some standing or relationship that may or may not have contributed to this,” Beck said. “This was not a random act.”

Los Angeles police have identified the victims as Harut Baburyan, 28; Sarkis Karadjian, 26; Vardan Tofalyan, 31; and Hayk Yegnanyan, 25.

Most of the victims were also from Armenia, officials said.

Also Friday, a federal grand jury indicted Galstyan on suspicion of dealing firearms without a license and possessing a weapon with an obliterated serial number. Officials said there was physical evidence linking Galstyan to the shooting but would not describe it, including whether he used a gun listed in the federal indictment.

Authorities served two search warrants Friday at residences Galstyan uses in North Hollywood and Glendale.