Sunland man gets up to life in prison for trying to murder ex-girlfriend in 2015 apartment fire
A Sunland man will get 41 years to life in prison after trying to kill his ex-girlfriend in 2015 when he threw an incendiary device into her Glendale apartment.
Gagik Akopyan, 40, was found guilty by a jury last May of attempted murder, arson of an inhabited structure, injuring a girlfriend and stalking.
His conviction stems from an April 19, 2015, incident where the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office said he set fire to his ex-girlfriend’s home in the 1800 block of Lake Street.
Akopyan broke a window at the home, removed a board she placed in the residence as protection and threw a device inside, which then exploded and caused a fire.
According to the Glendale Police Department, flames were visible from the apartment when officers arrived on the scene. The woman was evacuated, and police used a nearby garden hose to extinguish the flames.
The fire caused an estimated $18,000 in damages, according to the Glendale Fire Department.
Prosecutors said Akopyan was arrested later that day and had punched his ex-girlfriend earlier in the month.
Akopyan was previously convicted for robbery, burglary, receiving stolen property, conspiracy to intimidate a witness and possessing methamphetamine.
Twitter: @Andy_Truc
