Man Accused of Killing Relative Over Business : Crime: Authorities say a North Hollywood chocolate factory was the focus of the dispute. Suspect is also charged with extortion.

In a bizarre struggle over a lucrative chocolate factory, an Armenian immigrant was charged Wednesday with murdering his brother-in-law and then extorting $18,000 from the widow who took over the business.

The charges against Harutiun Truzian concluded a 19-month investigation. If convicted, Truzian faces the death penalty because he allegedly murdered for financial gain.

The victim, Zaven Baregamian, 42, also an Armenian immigrant and owner of Chocolate Delight Inc., was shot five times in the head at his factory at 12929 Saticoy St. on Feb. 16, 1992. The North Hollywood business specialized in a bite-sized candy known as “bird milk” in Armenia.

Truzian is also charged with stealing specialized candy-making equipment from the North Hollywood business, equipment that was later found in a chocolate-making venture that Truzian had set up in Oakland.

Truzian appeared in Van Nuys Municipal Court on Wednesday and was ordered held without bail.

Baregamian hired his brother-in-law to work at his candy shop in 1991, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Robert L. Cohen. The two had a falling out when Baregamian refused to make Truzian a partner, Cohen said.

After Truzian left Chocolate Delight, Baregamian was killed. Police investigating the crime scene said there was no sign of forced entry and no sign of robbery.

The victim’s wife, Manouchak Baregamian, assumed control of the business and later rehired Truzian, Cohen said.

“He (Truzian) gets somebody, we believe, to send extortion letters and make phone calls saying ‘we have to have some money or something bad is going to happen to you just like what happened to your husband,’ ” Cohen said.

One letter contained an unusual .25-caliber bullet in an aluminum jacket, authorities said. Police said the same type of bullet was used to kill Zaven Baregamian.

“The guy who killed Zaven Baregamian is the same guy that did the extortions because he left his signature with the bullet,” Cohen said.

The threats led Manouchak Baregamian to pay her blackmailers $18,000 in November, 1992, Cohen said.

Authorities have determined that Truzian was spending large sums of money after the blackmail money was paid.

Truzian and another Armenian immigrant leased a business location in Oakland to start a rival candy business, which they later called S&H; Chocolate Co., Cohen said.

Two days after they leased the Oakland site, Chocolate Delight was burglarized. “All of these specialized candy-making machines are missing,” and all were found in S&H; Chocolate, Cohen said.

Truzian’s business partner, Serob Vetsikyan, 22, while not charged in the slaying, has been charged with burglary stemming from the theft of the candy-making machines.