Homicide detectives have arrested a fugitive in the brutal killing eight years ago of a man whose body was found in the south area.
In September 2003, police made two arrests in the murder of Andrey Tsurkanu, 23, who was found dead along Unsworth Avenue near Florin Perkins Road. He had been beaten, pistol-whipped and stabbed.
Detectives arrested Gagik Karapetyan and Ararat Manukyan on suspicion of homicide.
Gagik Karapetyan was convicted of murder and sentenced to 15 years to life, according to online court records. Manukyan pleaded no contest to being an accessory to a crime and was sentenced to a year in jail and four years probation, records show.
Since then, police have been looking for looking for Karapetyan's sons, Daniel Karapetyan and Yegizar Karapetyan both young men at the time.
Investigators said in 2003 that Tsurkanu was involved in a quarrel with several people at Lucky Sales/A Saturday Auto Auction, 8588 Unsworth Ave., that may have been about disrespect, police said.
Investigators learned that the brothers fled the country. Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation traced the suspects to various countries.
Daniel Karapetyan was believed to have lived in Armenia before moving on to Russia, France and Belgium, police said today. FBI agents were contacted by Belgium authorities when he was arrested on unrelated charges.
The FBI extradited him to the United States and custody was transferred to Sacramento police detectives on Wednesday. The final suspect, his brother Yegizar, remains at large.
PHOTO CREDIT: Daniel Karapetyan/Sacramento police
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.