A story for every victim

Man sentenced to multiple life terms for four killings at Valley Village restaurant

A man was sentenced Dec. 20 to multiple life terms for the murders of four people at a restaurant in 2010, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office. 

Nerses Arthur Galstyan was sentenced to two consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole as well as two additional life terms. 

Galstyan was found guilty in March of two counts of first-degree murder and one count each of second-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter and aggravated mayhem. He was also convicted of two counts of attempted voluntary manslaughter. Jurors found true the special circumstance that Galstyan committed multiple murders. 

On April 3, 2010, Galstyan was involved in a dispute with several people who were attending a memorial service inside the Hot Spot Mediterranean restaurant on Riverside Drive. He left and returned with a gun, firing dozens of rounds at patrons, killing Hayk Yegnanyan, Vardan Tofalyan, Sarkis Karadjian, and Harut Baburyan. 

Galstyan fled after shooting but was later arrested at a home near Seattle. 

Contact the Homicide Report. Follow @jeromercampbell and @latimeshomicide on Twitter.

Post a comment

Before you post, here are some answers to frequently asked questions:

Remember, all posts are approved by a Times staffer. Profanity and personal attacks will not be approved.

  Required
  Required