A Granada Hills man charged with murder and attempted murder in a May 2024 shooting not far from his home has his fate in the hands of a jury at the San Fernando Courthouse.
Grigor Hovsepyan has been charged with murder in the death of Gavin Unzueta, who was a College of the Canyons student at the time of the shooting, and attempted murder for shooting at Unzueta’s friends, Nick Sanchez and Paul Lopez.
The three friends were driving around and egging vehicles in Hovsepyan’s neighborhood, near the top of Reseda Boulevard, around midnight on April 30, 2024, when they struck Hovsepyan’s car while he was driving with his girlfriend, according to the victim’s testimony in court.
Hovsepyan is accused of driving after the college students and then firing several rounds into the car, one of which fatally struck Unzueta.
Hovsepyan, 25, has remained in custody since his Aug. 28, 2024, arrest by Los Angeles Police Department officers.
During Hovsepyan’s preliminary hearing, an undercover officer shared evidence that Hovsepyan bragged about the shooting after his arrest, telling the officer that his girlfriend, Italia Sosa, became aroused by the violence.
During Hovsepyan’s actual trial more than two years later, Sosa refused to testify multiple times, after initially refusing to leave her jail cell. Sosa has been in custody throughout the trial on an unrelated charge, which accused her of committing a first-degree burglary, meaning the victim was home while the allegation occurred.
Judge Hilleri Merritt ruled that Sosa did not have the right to refuse to take the oath, and ultimately ordered her into isolation in protective custody of the Sheriff’s Department for the remainder of the trial, according to court records. Merritt also ordered Hovsepyan and Sosa transported separately back to jail.
A spokeswoman for the District Attorney’s Office confirmed that Sosa ultimately did testify prior to the trial’s conclusion Monday, when both sides made their closing arguments.
The case also went to the jury at 2:38 p.m., according to the minute order.
