Travel Agent to Be Retried in Murder Case

Federal prosecutors announced Thursday that they will retry a Glendale travel agent on charges stemming from the fatal shooting of a business associate in 1994.

U.S. District Judge Stephen Wilson set a Sept. 24 starting date for what will be the third trial overall for Garen Zakarian, 31. The first trial was in state court, where Zakarian was acquitted last December of charges that he murdered travel agency owner Benita Mikailian while stealing $42,000 worth of airline tickets he needed for his own business, which arranged flights between Armenia and the United States.

Zakarian was brought up on federal charges stemming from the incident, but a jury deadlocked last month on the most serious counts accusing him of robbery obstructing interstate commerce. The panel, however, did convict Zakarian of two federal weapons charges--for possession of a firearm and a silencer with the serial numbers obliterated--that could earn him 10- and five-year prison sentences.

In announcing the intent to try Zakarian again on the three counts on which the jury deadlocked, Assistant U.S. Atty. Christopher Tayback said federal prosecutors remained confident “it’s a strong case . . . where we stand a good chance of winning a conviction.”

Zakarian says he was framed by organized crime-connected travel industry rivals angry at his low fares.