Glendale man pleads guilty

GLENDALE -- A Glendale man pleaded guilty Thursday to charges of

stalking his ex-wife and threatening a police officer with a knife,

officials said.

Police began searching for Ara Terzian, 36, on Sept. 24 after he

threatened to cut his ex-wife’s head off, police said. Officer

Armando Montalvo located Terzian at his Chevy Chase Drive apartment

and shot the defendant twice in the leg -- he was brandishing a knife

and was approaching his mother in a menacing way, police said.

Terzian pleaded guilty in Pasadena Superior Court on Thursday to

two counts, one stemming from threatening Montalvo with a knife, and

another from stalking his ex-wife, Deputy Dist. Atty. Susan Schwartz

said. The defendant will likely be sentenced to four years in state

prison during his July 5 hearing, Schwartz said.

As part of a plea bargain, three additional counts of making

terrorist threats, to his wife and to Montalvo, will be dropped, as

will two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, officials said.

During the September incident, Terzian allegedly tried to ram

Montalvo and another Glendale officer with his car.

Prosecutors offered a plea bargain for several reasons, Schwartz

said, including Terzian’s admission of responsibility and that no one

else was injured.

“Those were all considered against the risk of harm he poses and

the need to take him off the street for a period of time so he can

appreciate the gravity of his conduct,” Schwartz said.

Terzian’s attorney, Robert Helfend, did not return calls Thursday.

The district attorney’s office investigated the shooting and on

March 11 declared it justifiable, Glendale Police Det. Keith

Soboleski said. For his action, Montalvo was awarded the Police

Department’s Medal of Heroism last month.

Glendale police have dealt with Terzian five other times since

1997 in incidents including threats made to police officers and his

ex-wife, Soboleski said.

Terzian will be sentenced to a prison where he can receive

psychiatric treatment, Soboleski said.

“We’re happy with the sentencing,” Soboleski said. “It’s nice to

see a threat to society get the help he needs while holding him

accountable for his actions.”