Man convicted of murder, other counts for crime spree that included the killing of a motorist in Panorama City

LOS ANGELES — An ex-con was convicted Tuesday of taking portion successful a violent transgression spree that included a motorist being fatally changeable successful Panorama City and a wrong-way freeway clang successful which a pistillate and her 3 children were injured successful Sun Valley.

The downtown Los Angeles assemblage deliberated astir 2 days earlier uncovering Artyom Gasparyan, 37, blameworthy of much than 30 counts, including a first- grade execution complaint stemming from the Dec. 30, 2015, sidesplitting of Adan Corea, a 32-year-old begetter of 2 who mislaid power of his conveyance aft being shot.

Jurors besides recovered existent the peculiar condition allegation of an intentional shooting from a vehicle, on with an allegation that Gasparyan was not equipped but knew that the gunman was armed.

Superior Court Judge Kathleen Kennedy had earlier rejected a question made astatine the behest of District Attorney George Gascón to disregard the peculiar condition allegation, for which Gasparyan present faces a beingness situation condemnation without the anticipation of parole, according to Deputy District Attorney John McKinney.

Gasparyan was besides convicted of crimes carried retired betwixt Aug. 5, 2015, and Jan. 4, 2016, including attempted murder, robbery, carjacking, shooting astatine an unoccupied vehicle, fleeing a pursuing bid officer’s centrifugal conveyance portion driving recklessly, hit-and-run driving, battle with a firearm connected a bid serviceman and possession of a firearm by a felon.

He is acceptable to beryllium sentenced Dec. 9.

In his opening statement, McKinney told jurors that Gasparyan was tied to the crimes done GPS grounds from a silver, four-door 2011 Volkswagen Jetta that the authoritative said was registered to Gasparyan’s parent and was regularly driven by the defendant.

“All of the crimes successful this lawsuit were committed with this conveyance being connected country …,” McKinney said, noting that an investigation of a Garmin GPS instrumentality that was plugged into the vehicle’s dashboard allowed jurors to “literally spot the question of the car astatine each transgression scene.”

Gasparyan’s attorney, Felipe de la Torre, noted that his lawsuit had testified successful his ain defence that different radical had entree to the vehicle.

“Giving entree to idiosyncratic other doesn’t marque you blameworthy of the crimes they committed,” the defence lawyer said successful his closing argument.

He told jurors the lawsuit was based connected “inaccurate and unreliable eyewitness identifications.”

Gasparyan’s lawyer said his lawsuit is Armenian, not Hispanic arsenic immoderate of the witnesses had described the assailant.

He besides questioned the relationship of 2 constabulary officers whom helium alleged “made up this story” that Gasparyan reached for a weapon portion helium was being chased pursuing the wrong-way freeway crash.

The defence lawyer urged the sheet to acquit his lawsuit of each but 2 counts — felon successful possession of a firearm and hit-and-run driving.

“He is not a murderer … (he) does not spell astir shooting people,” de la Torre said.

The authoritative — who urged jurors to “hold Mr. Gasparyan accountable for each the crimes helium committed and each the radical helium hurt” — said the transgression spree progressive a cross-section of people, including the shootings of 2 strangers crossing the street, a parking valet who was changeable aft wealth was demanded, a pistillate who survived being stabbed six times, and the owners of vehicles that were changeable astatine portion parked connected a thoroughfare successful Glendale — the second of which occurred connected the defendant’s birthday.

A “twist happened” aft Los Angeles constabulary issued a transgression alert upon determining that the crimes were linked, McKinney said, telling jurors that Gasparyan started to enactment with an “accomplice” named Daniel Ramirez.

The 2 were progressive successful the shooting of a nutrient transportation operator who suffered “devastating injuries” erstwhile helium was changeable six times aft trying to fly connected ft successful precocious December 2015, a “road-rage” incidental the pursuing time successful which 2 radical were changeable conscionable earlier 2 shots were fired astatine Corea, who died soon afterward astatine a hospital, and the robberies of 2 state presumption convenience stores and 2 men walking location successful the Silver Lake country from a Trader Joe’s store, the authoritative said.

Ramirez changeable and killed himself aft barricading himself wrong a location successful Long Beach pursuing the carjackings of 2 vehicles connected New Year’s Day 2016, arsenic tactical surveillance units from the LAPD continued to hunt for Gasparyan, who drove against postulation connected the 5 Freeway 3 days aboriginal and fled connected ft aft the wrong-way crash, according to the lawman territory attorney.

As constabulary chased Gasparyan, 2 officers saw him scope into his pouch and “come up with the gun,” and they changeable him arsenic helium held a .357-caliber revolver successful 1 of his hands, McKinney told jurors.

In a papers released successful January 2019, Los Angeles County prosecutors concluded that the unit utilized by Los Angeles constabulary detectives Marcelo Raffi and Peter Miranda was “reasonable nether the circumstances successful bid to support their lives and the lives of others, and to seizure a dangerous, fleeing felon.”

Then-LAPD Chief Charlie Beck — who had called Gasparyan a “very, precise unsafe individual” — said constabulary had been actively searching for him successful transportation with the alleged transgression spree.