A 23-year-old man accused of murder in the shooting death of a College of the Canyons student in May pleaded not guilty in court this week.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has charged Grigor Hovsepyan with two counts of attempted murder and one count of murder in connection with the May 1 murder of Gavin Unzueta, a College of the Canyons student.
Hovsepyan, a Granada Hills resident, pleaded not guilty to all three charges at a Jan. 24 hearing.
Los Angeles Police Department officials who are investigating Unzueta’s murder have yet to release any theories they have regarding Hovsepyan’s motive, but indicate the shooting of the COC student and two others who were in the car with him in Granada Hills, was intentional.
LAPD officials investigated the murder for months, arresting Hovsepyan twice, both in June and August, before he was identified as their murder suspect, according to custody records available online with the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department.
The L.A. city councilman who represents the area where Unzueta was killed, John Lee in District 12, suggested a $50,000 reward for information leading to the identity of the murderer. The reward was approved May 28.
“Gavin Unzueta and two friends were driving in the neighborhood near Sesnon Boulevard between Reseda Boulevard and Tampa Avenue when a white vehicle parked at a lookout point began to follow them,” according to Lee’s motion for the reward. “A vehicle chase ensued and the white vehicle eventually pulled along the passenger side of the victim’s vehicle. The suspect produced a handgun and fired multiple shots into their vehicle, fatally striking Mr. Unzueta.”
Two others who were injured are not being identified by The Signal.
LAPD officials did not immediately respond to a request to find out if the reward led to information that resulted in Hovsepyan’s arrest.
On Aug. 28, the homicide detectives in the LAPD’s Valley Bureau arrested Hovsepyan and booked him at their Van Nuys jail, and he was held in lieu of $5 million bail.
If convicted of the charges, including the special allegations that he used a firearm, Hovsepyan could face 25 years to life in prison, according to the criminal complaint filed Dec. 11.
He’s due back in court in March.