Juvenile who fled to Armenia arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after road rage incident

A juvenile who fled to Armenia after punching a man with brass knuckles during a road rage incident, leaving the man in a coma, has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, authorities said Thursday.

About 9:30 p.m. New Year’s Day, a black Jeep was driving erratically in the Valley Glen neighborhood when it got behind another man’s vehicle.

Both vehicles pulled to the curb near Woodman Avenue and Victory Boulevard, and both drivers and the Jeep’s passengers got out.

Witness video recorded from a nearby car shows two men from separate vehicles exchanging words, and then one of the Jeep’s occupants — the juvenile arrested this week, according to the Los Angeles Police Department — quickly strikes the driver of the other vehicle. The driver collapses to the ground as the Jeep’s occupants flee.

The victim has been hospitalized since the attack.

LAPD worked with the FBI, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Interpol and the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office to bring the juvenile back to the United States.

Another suspect, identified by the LAPD as Robert Hovhannisyan, was not returned from Armenia by law enforcement because he did not assault the driver, according to the LAPD.