Four arrested in afternoon shooting

Gretchen Hoffman

GLENDALE -- Four men have been arrested on suspicion of exchanging

gunfire with another driver during a car chase, then shooting him at a

gas station.

An argument apparently broke out between the driver of a red compact

car and passengers in a white SUV at about 4:45 p.m. Thursday, Glendale

Police Sgt. Kirk Palmer said.

“A chase began,” he said. “We’re still trying to determine who the

initial aggressor was.”

Shots were fired in the area of Glenoaks Boulevard and Sonora Avenue,

and witnesses reported seeing the cars chasing each other east on

Glenoaks Boulevard.

A second series of shots was fired at a Shell station at 625 N.

Pacific Ave. at 4:52 p.m. The driver of the red car was shot once in the

upper left torso, Palmer said.

Sarkis Assadourian, 24, of Granada Hills was taken to County-USC

Medical Center, where he was in critical condition Friday.

Officers stopped the other car near the shooting.

Four men were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder: Tigran

Alexsanian, 27, whose address is not known; Armen Babalarian, 30, of

Glendale; Sarkis Isahakyan, 29, of Glendale; and Eduard Petrosyan, 25, of

North Hollywood.

“We believe both vehicles exchanged gunfire,” Palmer said. “At least

four shots were fired.”

No other injuries were reported, but businesses around the areas where

shots were fired might have been damaged.

“We believe that we have everybody in custody but obviously they’re

continuing to work on the case,” Palmer said.

No charges have been filed against Assadourian.

The suspects are being held on $500,000 bail in Glendale City Jail and

are set to be arraigned on Monday.

Anyone with information about the incident are asked to call the

department’s robbery/homicide unit at 548-3987.