Alberd Tersargyan

Overview

Alberd Tersargyan (Armenian: Ալբերտ Տեր-Սարգսյան; 1951 – April 1, 2018) was an Armenian-American serial killer whose heinous crimes shocked the Hollywood community between 2008 and 2010. Tersargyan murdered four individuals, including a woman he had been obsessively stalking and her young daughter. Although he was charged with four counts of murder in 2011, he committed suicide in jail in 2018 before his trial could even begin.

Quick Facts

• Born: 1951, Armenian SSR
• Died: April 1, 2018 (aged 66–67), Men's Central Jail, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
• Cause of Death: Suicide
• Other Names: Albert Huratunyan
• Conviction: N/A (committed suicide before trial)
• Criminal Penalty: N/A (committed suicide before trial)
• Details:
  • Victims: 4
  • Span of Crimes: 2008–2010
  • Country: United States
  • State: California
  • Date Apprehended: April 19, 2010

Background

Alberd Tersargyan’s early life remains largely shrouded in mystery. Born in 1951 in the Armenian SSR, details about his past prior to emigration are scarce. It is known that he served in the Armed Forces of Armenia and had an alarming self-identity as a "professional killer." In the early 2000s, Tersargyan and his wife relocated to the United States, likely around 2001, settling in the Little Armenia neighborhood of Los Angeles. Here, he secured employment at a cabinet-manufacturing plant.

By 2003, the Tersargyan family had formed a friendship with fellow Armenian immigrants Khachik Safaryan and Karine Hakobyan, who had also recently arrived in California with their infant daughters. Their families enjoyed a cordial relationship, often vacationing together. However, Tersargyan’s infatuation with Hakobyan became troubling. He pursued her romantically but was consistently rebuffed.

Tersargyan's obsession escalated when Safaryan confided in him about his extramarital affair, revealing he was cheating on Hakobyan with an old girlfriend from Armenia. Intrigued and enraged, Tersargyan conveyed this information to Hakobyan in hopes of breaking up the marriage, but she chose to stay with Safaryan. Feeling spurned, Tersargyan resorted to sending an anonymous letter to Safaryan, threatening him with violence if he didn’t leave the country.

The Murders

The first murders occurred in December 2008, when 12-year-old Lusine Safaryan returned home to a horrifying scene on 1200 Tamarind Avenue: her father, 43-year-old Khachik Safaryan, and her 8-year-old sister were found shot dead, both victims of gunfire to the head. The impact of this brutal discovery left the young girl and her mother, Karine Hakobyan, devastated. At this point, no suspects were identified, although investigators later revealed they had questioned Tersargyan as a witness. Remarkably, he concealed his romantic feelings for Hakobyan during this interrogation, and thus he slipped through the cracks of suspicion.

Fast forward to late February 2010, when another life was claimed. Julie Kates, a prostitute, was shot in broad daylight on Sunset Avenue. Eyewitnesses reported a man in a dark gray van, allegedly a client who accused Kates of stealing a DVD player. Law enforcement believed she was shot using a rifle, possibly equipped with a silencer, which added a chilling layer to the case.

The violence escalated further on March 26, 2010, when 38-year-old Karine Hakobyan was murdered. After returning home from work, she parked her Honda CR-V at a lot near her apartment complex on 5800 Lexington Avenue. Before she could exit her vehicle, someone approached and shot her in the head, leaving the scene before any witnesses could react.

Arrest, Detention, and Suicide

The investigation took a critical turn shortly after Hakobyan's murder. A colleague of Tersargyan at the cabinet plant became alarmed by his erratic behavior and the presence of a firearm. This concerned colleague reported him to an Armenian-American officer in the Glendale Police Department, who passed the information to Los Angeles investigators. Tersargyan was arrested on April 19, 2010, under weapon violation charges, and authorities uncovered multiple handguns and rifles, some of which were believed to be unregistered.

Among the seized firearms was a small-caliber handgun that underwent ballistics testing, ultimately revealing it as the weapon used in Hakobyan's murder. Just four days later, Tersargyan was charged formally with her murder and held without bail. As the investigation deepened, ballistic evidence linked him to the other three murders, leading to additional charges. This indictment not only made him eligible for the death penalty but also streamlined the legal process by eliminating the need for a preliminary hearing.

During a hearing concerning the case, Judge Hilleri G. Merritt controversially issued an order preventing a photographer from The Los Angeles Times from publishing images of Tersargyan. The rationale was to avoid potential bias against him, a move contested by a representative from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, who argued there was no legal basis for the restriction. Although the final decision on this matter was delayed until August 2010, its outcome remains uncertain.

In 2014, Tersargyan pleaded not guilty to the charge of murdering Hakobyan. However, he would never see the inside of a courtroom, as he took his own life at the Men's Central Jail on April 1, 2018. Court records revealed he had been battling worsening Alzheimer's disease and exhibited signs of suicidal ideation, which tragically culminated in his death.

See Also

• List of serial killers in the United States

Sources

• Richard Winton (August 29, 2011). "Former Armenian soldier, 65, indicted on four counts of murder". Los Angeles Times.
• Edwin Folven (August 5, 2010). "New Charges Filed in Murder of Family in Hollywood". Beverly Press.
• "Police: Thwarted love led to Hollywood slayings". The San Diego Union-Tribune.
• "Man charged in murder of Hollywood woman". KABC-TV.
• Carlin Miller (April 23, 2010). "Little Armenia Family Nearly Wiped out by Mom's Stalker, Cops Say". CBS News.
• "Former Armenian soldier, 65, indicted on four counts of murder". Glendale News-Press.
• Andrew Blankstein (August 5, 2010). "Judge bans publication of photos". Los Angeles Times.
• Dylan Stableford (August 11, 2010). "Court Delays Decision in L.A. Times Prior-Restraint Case". TheWrap.
• "Suspect pleads not guilty to slaying 1 of 3 Hollywood family members killed since 2008". Fox News.