Man officially charged with killing cousin

A 27-year-old Tujunga man was charged Thursday with shooting and killing his cousin before dumping her body on the Foothill (210) Freeway at the La Crescenta Avenue offramp, officials said.

Aram Sarukhanyan was charged with one felony count of murder and another felony count for brandishing a firearm at another driver during the April 29 shooting death of his cousin, Adrine Arzumanyan, according to a Los Angeles County Superior Court complaint.

Sarukhanyan is expected to be arraigned Friday, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department records.

Sarukhanyan was arrested Tuesday night on suspicion of murder after he was released from Huntington Memorial Hospital, sheriff’s officials said. He had been admitted as result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his chin shortly after Arzumanyan was found dead on the freeway.

Officials said Arzumanyan — a married mother of a 6-month-old boy — was shot at least once in the upper body before being pushed out from the car onto the westbound La Crescenta Avenue offramp.

He is being held in lieu of $1-million bail in a medical ward in a Los Angeles County jail.

-- Veronica Rocha

FOR THE RECORD: This corrects an earlier version to make clear that the charge was for brandishing a weapon at another driver.