Driver in fatal hit-and-run turns himself in
The hit-and-run suspect who fatally struck a 4-year-old girl who ran into oncoming traffic turned himself in to police on Saturday, authorities said.
Glendale resident Shant Badleean, 55, self-surrendered Saturday at the Glendale police station while accompanied by his family and the pastor of his church, said city spokesman Tom Lorenz.
After police interviewed Badleean and recovered the vehicle involved in the collision, Badleean was arrested on suspicion of felony hit and run. He is being held in lieu of $50,000 bail.
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The incident occurred just before 5 p.m. on Friday, when the girl, identified as Violeta Khachaturyan, ran from her front yard on the 1200 block of East Wilson Avenue, in between two parked cars and into oncoming traffic, officials said.
She was struck by an oncoming vehicle, which fled the scene. Her parents were with her at the time.
The girl was thrown a “significant distance” from the impact, about the length of four cars, into the back end of a parked car, Lorenz said.
The girl was transported to Glendale Adventist Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at 5:34 p.m. Friday.
“We now have two families that are incredibly devastated by the events that occurred,” Lorenz said, adding that Violeta’s family was notified about the arrest prior to the information being publicly released. “It’s a tragedy.”
He added that it doesn’t appear that the driver was under the influence. The investigation is ongoing.
“I am glad that the individual involved did turn themselves in,” Glendale Mayor Zareh Sinanyan said Saturday. “It was the right thing to do, and they did it.”
After visiting Violeta’s parents and neighbors on Friday, Sinanyan decided to launch a crowdfunding campaign online to raise money for funeral costs.
“I talked to neighbors and everyone kept repeating that they’re economically challenged,” he said, adding that consoling Violeta’s parents was heart-wrenching. “The pain and the sorrow was overwhelming.”
To donate to Violeta’s family, visit www.crowdrise.com/violetakhachaturyan, set up by the mayor, or www.tilt.com/campaigns/help-cover-violetas-funeral, set up by Violeta’s relatives.
Meanwhile, the Glendale Police Officers Assn. is accepting donations to assist the family.
Checks can be made out to “GPOA Cops to Kids” with indication on the memo line that the donation is for the Khachaturyan family. Questions regarding donations can be addressed to the association’s office at 818-246-9053.
Last year, five pedestrians and one bicyclist were fatally struck by cars at various locations in Glendale. Of those incidents, four pedestrians and the cyclist were determined to be at fault.
“The broader message is people need to slow down and people need to watch their kids,” Sinanyan said. “We have this ongoing traffic deaths issue -- no matter how much we try these incidents keep happening, but it doesn’t mean were going to stop trying.”
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Alene Tchekmedyian, alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com
Twitter: @atchek
