HOLLYWOOD—The Los Angeles Police Department’s Hollywood Robbery Detectives and Operations-West Bureau LAPD/ ATF Gun Violence Reduction Task Force identified and arrested a robbery suspect in the Hollywood region of Los Angeles.
The LAPD reported on May 8, around 5:40 p.m., the suspect, later identified as Grachik Melkonyan, 30, approached two victims who were seated at a table outside of a coffee shop located in the 6400 block of Sunset Boulevard. As Melkonyan approached, he simulated a handgun which was covered with a towel. He demanded money and proceeded to take one of the victim’s cellphone that was sitting on top of the table. He fled the location in a white colored Volvo SUV with the victim’s property.
Approximately 10 minutes later, Melkonyan approached another victim at a bank located in the 6300 Sunset Boulevard. He demanded money from her as he simulated a handgun which was covered with a towel. The victim withdrew cash from the ATM and handed the money to the suspect, who walked back to his vehicle which was described as a White Volvo SUV and fled the area.
One witness used her cellphone to capture a photograph of the Melkonyan’s vehicle before he fled the scene. The investigation led by Hollywood Robbery Detectives and Operations-West Bureau LAPD/ATF Gun Violence Reduction Task Force identified Melkonyan as the suspect in both crimes. A Ramey arrest warrant and a Search Warrant for his home was granted by the Los Angeles Superior Court and served on June 16, by LAPD Metropolitan Division officers. He was taken into custody without incident.
The Search Warrant resulted in the recovery of a replica firearm. Melkonyan was booked at Hollywood Jail on two counts of Penal Code Section 211PC – Robbery and one count of Attempted Robbery. Melkonyan is a resident of Los Angeles and his bail was set at $150,000.
Anyone with details related to this crime or the suspect is asked to contact LAPD Hollywood Division, Detective Eberhardt at 213-972-2955. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247). Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477) or go directly to www.lacrimestoppers.org. Tipsters may visit www.lapdonline.org, and click on “Anonymous Web Tips” under the “Get Involved-Crime Stoppers” menu to submit an online tip. Lastly, tipsters may also download the “P3 Tips” mobile application and select the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers as their local program.
