By Mary O’KEEFE
Aram Sarukhanyan, 27, of Tujunga has pled not guilty to the charge of murdering his cousin and dumping her body on the La Crescenta Avenue off ramp of the westbound Foothill (210) Freeway.
Sarukhanyan has been accused of shooting his cousin Adriane Arzumanyan, 33, and then shoving her body out of his vehicle.
The incident occurred shortly after 5 p.m. on April 29. According to Los Angeles County Coroner’s spokesman Ed Winter, Arzumanyan suffered multiple gun shots wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency responders.
Shortly after the woman’s body was dumped, Sarukhanyan allegedly continued on the off ramp and returned to the freeway traveling eastbound on the 210, then southbound on the Glendale (2) Freeway and pulled his vehicle over near the Mountain Street exit. He then shot himself in an apparent suicide attempt.
Sarukhanyan’s next court date is Aug. 9.