A young man and a teenager were arrested Thursday in connection with the deaths of three people in a fiery three-vehicle collision in Burbank during an illegal street race, police reported.
Hamlet Arseni Aghajanyan, 19, of Burbank, and a 17-year-old suspect, whose name was withheld, were booked on suspicion of three counts of murder and one count of reckless driving, according to a Burbank Police Department statement.
The crash occurred at about 11:50 p.m. Aug. 3 on North Glenoaks Boulevard at Andover Drive, said Burbank police Sgt. Emil Brimway, who said the fatally injured victims were not involved in the alleged street race.
When police officers and paramedics arrived, they found three people who had been ejected from a silver Volkswagen. Pasadena resident Cerain Anthony Raekwon Baker, 21, Burbank resident Jaiden Kishon Johnson, 20 and 19-year-old Calabasas resident Natalee Asal Moghaddam were pronounced dead at the scene.
A fourth occupant of the Volkswagen sustained serious injuries and was taken to a local trauma center, police said.
Aghajanyan, who was found seriously injured in a gray Kia, was also taken to a trauma center for treatment, according to police.
The 17-year-old was behind the wheel of a black Mercedes-Benz, according to Brimway, who said the teen and a passenger were unhurt.
Brimway said then that “the Kia and Mercedes-Benz were traveling northbound on Glenoaks Boulevard at a high rate of speed for several blocks and appeared to be racing. The Volkswagen was attempting to negotiate a left turn from southbound Glenoaks Boulevard to eastbound Andover Drive, when the traffic collision occurred.”
One of those killed was the son of a local comedian. Beverly White reports for the NBC4 News on Wednesday, Aug, 4, 2021.
One of the cars was “partially broken in half,” according to police, who said several parked vehicles also were damaged.
Aghajanyan is being held on $6 million bail and is expected to appear in court on Monday. The 17-year-old driver is being detained at a juvenile detention facility.
Burbank detectives are still investigating the collision and asked anyone with information to contact the department’s Investigation Division at 818-238-3210.
