Mother and daughter arrested after alleged attempt to cover up fatal Glendale hit-and-run
A mother and daughter were arrested Friday afternoon in connection with a fatal hit-and-run crash — and subsequent cover-up attempt — that claimed the life of an 81-year-old Glendale man, police said.
Detectives believe Goar Davtyan, 67, was behind the wheel of a white Toyota Camry that fatally struck Martiros Arutyunyan on the evening of April 16, said Glendale Police Sgt. Robert William.
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Arutyunyan, who was legally crossing Broadway from Belmont Street when the collision occurred, sustained head injuries and was rushed to a hospital, where he died.
Traffic investigators worked around-the-clock to find the driver, canvassing the crime scene for evidence, surveillance footage and witnesses.
Within days, Davtyan was identified as a person of interest, and her car, which had damage consistent with the collision, was seized for forensic testing.
On Friday, police arrested her on suspicion of felony hit-and-run, as well as vehicular manslaughter, William said. The woman’s daughter, 41-year-old Alina Davtyan, was arrested on suspicion of being an accessory to a crime and filing a false insurance claim.
The duo reportedly told police that the car’s damages — for which Alina Davtyan filed an insurance claim — came from a different collision, William said.
“There’s strong evidence against both of them, including surveillance footage,” William said. “There’s evidence that does not corroborate the daughter’s story.”
City officials last month offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the driver. Police got a number of phone calls, though none produced viable leads.
The fatality marked the third pedestrian-related death in Glendale this year.
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Alene Tchekmedyian, alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com
Twitter: @atchek
