Homicide Report > Vardan Tofalyan, 30
Vardan Tofalyan, 30
Died April 3, 2010 at 5:58 p.m.
Vardan Tofalyan, a 31-year-old white man, died Saturday, April 3, in the 11600 block of Riverside Drive in Valley Village, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.
Police investigators said Tofalyan, along with three men, Sarkis Karadjian, 26; Hayk Yegnanyan, 25; and Harut Baburyan, 28, were inside the Hot Spot cafe, a Mediterranean restaurant, when a gunman or gunmen opened fire before fleeing. Tofalyan was taken to a hospital where he died about an hour after the other three men, who were pronounced dead at the scene.
Two other men were injured but were expected to survive.
Days after the killings, Los Angeles Police Department detectives were struggling with conflicting accounts and an undetermined motive.
Law enforcement sources told The Times that detectives were skeptical about some of the accounts given by witnesses at the restaurant and are still not sure whether there was one gunman or two. Detectives also aren't sure how many people were at the restaurant at the time because some customers apparently fled before police arrived.
The sources, who spoke to The Times on the condition that they not be named because it was an ongoing investigation, said they believe the shooting was tied to Armenian or Eurasian organized crime but are unsure of the motive.
Investigators are hoping that shell casings recovered from the Hot Spot Cafe will provide a clearer account of exactly what happened Saturday afternoon.
Capt. Kevin McClure of the LAPD's robbery-homicide division, said the large of number of gunshots fired during the attack suggest that more than one gunman was involved, but detectives aren't sure.
"We are looking for anyone who knows about this shooting to come forward," he said. A security video from the restaurant, McClure said, "did not provide the identity of the suspect or suspects because it didn't show the inside" of the cafe.
— Richard Winton and Andrew Blankstein
- Neighborhood: Valley Village
- Age: 30
- Gender: Male
- Cause: Gunshot
- Day of the week: Saturday
- Agency: LAPD Robbery Homicide
- Race/Ethnicity: White
- Crime scene: Commercial building
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38 reader comments about Vardan Tofalyan
R.I.P to all may god bless der families
April 6, 2010 at 11:51 a.m.
Vart, kyanks, I loved you, and still do so, so much. You were such a sweetheart, a unique guy. I wish this hadn't happened to you. I can't imagine what your family is going through right now. My prayers to them. I am not going to say rest in peace because you are still alive to me. I will do anything, I will give anything to have you back. I wish I was with you at the time. Life has no meaning without you baby jan. I love you so much Vart. Kyanks you are with me every minute of the day. Those who did this to you will not stay punished, believe me.
April 6, 2010 at 7:57 p.m.
R.I.P to all who have fallen. Astevatc erantc hokin luycavori...
April 7, 2010 at 1:30 a.m.
I didnt know you but its very said to hear what happen to you and your friends. Rest in Peace ...
April 7, 2010 at 4:31 p.m.
AP13 huh? I wonder what these good citizens were into that had them ambushed this way?
April 8, 2010 at 11:10 a.m.
AP13 SOUNDS LIKE GANGSTUFF, SOUTHSIDE STYLE. EVERYBODY,EXCEPT FOR ME, LOVES 13?!
April 8, 2010 at 3:47 p.m.
Yuri, I am wondering about that too.
April 8, 2010 at 4:33 p.m.
R.I.P
My heart goes out to ur family and loved ones sorry to hear what happend!!
god bless ur family!!
April 8, 2010 at 4:58 p.m.
No big lose to society.
April 11, 2010 at 10:19 p.m.
when such a tragedy happens we dont need ignorent people like you morans that are talking shiet to make comments your likly to end up like that just by talking shiet.... RIP to those that past may god be with you and your familys. VERY SAD RIP
April 12, 2010 at 2:46 p.m.
vart im kyank es u are and will always be the love of my life ten years together was not enough im so glad we spend till the last day together i miss u so much u were are my world and for ever will be ...i love u . today is the saddest day of my life bales.. please come home.
April 12, 2010 at 6:45 p.m.
i love you
April 12, 2010 at 7:04 p.m.
REST IN PEACE ESE WE MISSIN YOU SCORPIO ONE OF THE ONLY ARAS I EVER MET AND A CRAZY PANDILLERO AT THAT. DAMN HOMIE HAD NOT SEEN YOUSE IN LIKE A MONTH AND THAT WAS A LONG TIME QUE NO BUT DAMN MAN YOU IN A BETTER PLACE HOMEZ RIP SCORPIO FROM THAT HOOD.
-JASPER DE V.SGR-
April 12, 2010 at 9:36 p.m.
You will be loved by our crazy little crowd, no color lines. If it weren't for you George/Vardan, i wouldn't of given different foods a try. We, as in Nacho, Sassy/Liz, n lil. Andrew will always miss you and had nothing but mad love for you n respect. You were family. And an awesome friend.
R.I.P. my good friend!
Love always,
Sassy
April 12, 2010 at 9:51 p.m.
Ani- You are very sad right now and I feel your pain clearly through your words. The best way to show your love is to live your life to the fullest-spread your wings and do something wonderful in honor of your friend. Don't give in to the sad feelings-give in to the love you have for your love one.I wish you peace and pray for you to find a way to get through this sad time in your life.
April 13, 2010 at 8:30 a.m.
Ruby- I know you are lost right now but I pray you find comfort in your family and friends. I hope that you will let the memories carry you through the hard times. It is always hard in the begining to deal with a sudden lost but I can assure you that time will heal your heart and let your soul breath. Let your friends and loved ones help you through this-let them hear all your thoughts and you will feel better in time.
April 13, 2010 at 8:36 a.m.
Thanks Weezy for your comfort. It's just so so damn hard, impossible to get through this. He was the love of my life, a sweetheart, really 1 in a million.
April 14, 2010 at 12:09 a.m.
Vart, I love you kyanks
April 16, 2010 at 11:12 p.m.
Vart, kyanks, it's very sad without you. I still can't believe you're gone. I'll do whatever it takes to get you back. It's so empty without you. You know, this life has no meaning without you. I am very, very sorry, you can't even imagine how sorry I'm that this has happened to you, but mostly because we won't be the family you dreamed of, or get to see or hold your baby. So sorry baby jan. Believe me, those bastards that did this to you will be punished forever, and so will their parents. They will suffer more than your parents and loved ones. I really hope that they too will feel and be in as much pain as your family, i and your friends and loved ones.
April 20, 2010 at 11:31 p.m.
Ani who are you? vardan was my boyfriend of ten years??
April 21, 2010 at 11:26 p.m.
Vart, kyanks, one of the bastards who did this to you and your friends has been caught, that's why today is a good day. Justice has been served. Your parents, your brother and the rest of your loved ones are relieved. His family will suffer like yours, actually even worse because they're gonna live with this pain for the rest of their miserable lives, and see their son suffer in front of their eyes. He is not going to see the light of day. I wish you knew how happy I'm. I'm sure you're smiling now from heaven above. I'm so happy he's been caught. Thank you Dear God. My prayers have been answered. I wish your family strength. I love you baby jan...
April 22, 2010 at 7:13 p.m.
ANI... sweetie u need some help i see u are still sphyco dont u remember he dummped u ten years ago when he first layed eyes on me and we have been together since. u stocked us for a year wow im glad u finally stopped that was odd. and now u are coming here and acting like u were still in the picture. me and vart have neen living together for the last ten years of his life we were very much in love he came home to me every night hugged me all night and kisses me squeezed me every morning for me this is really sad and it hurts bad . he wouldnt be happy what u are writing about him. if he was going to cheat on it wouldnt be with you. trust me . we had dogs and a shop together for me this is a big loss i lost my right half every body that knew vart knew he had a ruby includidng the fool that took him from me.he will be with me for ever he is my guardian angel.he has my name tattoo on him and i have hisim glad we were still in love ten yearslater and we were planning for ten more. last night u posted :: ani who are u and u put my name i know u did cause thats how pchyco u are!! instead u should say the truth ten year ago he cutt u off and never loooked back u are really weird.any way this closes a huge chapter of my life and i dont know how he was everything to me any way i suggest u look into a spchologist i said it before and ill say it again . i was at his wake funeral and burial the hardest thing i ever had to do. so lets not for get he dummped u TEN YEARS AGO and im a witnesss . i havent been a ble to laugh at all latley but u are pretty funny.
I LOVE VARDAN FOR EVER
RUBY
April 22, 2010 at 8:36 p.m.
Ruby I really feel sorry for you. I'm assuming you must've been blind. It's so weird how you're posting that someboby else responded instead of you the who are you Ani post? In this case you don't need a psychologist, you need a psychiatrist really badly, and I suggest that you get one soon 'cause I see you need it. You wrote the post because you needed to know all about Vart's stuff that he didn't obviously share. Yeah, I knew about the dogs, does chihuah ring a bell? Yes, at one point I knew he wasn't living at home, duh we were broken up. You're talking about nights he came home to, which nights are you talking about? The nights when you were not home, and he was on the phone with me all night long, and not just ONE, but many. Maybe those nights while he was out with Harut, and they were drinking at Harut's pad. So there are obviously things you didn't know about Vart, and what he did behind your back, but why do you even care. And yeah I wish he was still alive to let you know about all I'm telling you, which you asked for. I'm sure he would gladly tell you about all this, he wuldn't be scared to tell you that he wanted to marry me, an Armenian girl, not you. Trust me I knew he was screwing up with you on and off since 2003, whenever we broke up, he came to you, you didn't mind being the other woman, so it's no news to me. He From 2003 'till now it's not even 10 years, get your numbers right. I wasn't there at his funeral, or what we call the seeing ceremony because I couldn't see him like that. He's still alive to me, but you know that's my problem, and don't think I don't know you were there, people that knew about you have said to each other that you're the stripper from the club, so believe me I do know you were there. Are you talking about the smoke shop where water and phones were being sold, yeah I know about that. I know what I need to know, you are the cluless one here not me. Vart's gone, and I don't need to keep a grudge against him because he was with you when we were on and off together. If you were all that and he was so into you, how come he hadn't proposed to you instead of me I wonder? So who's the psycho now? Nothing you say burns me, I really don't care about any of this, it's you who's digging to know what he left behind and all that you didn't know about. You're right, he got caught at the club with you when you had first started working at the club. I was smart enough to catch him, and put an end to our relationship. It was him who ran after me, and didn't wanna let go.
April 23, 2010 at 4:07 a.m.
I don't get why are you guys still arguing over him. It's obvious he was involved with both of you from the things you both mentioned. You guys should let it go. He's passed, let him rest in peace.
April 23, 2010 at 8:23 a.m.
you girls are too funny...by the looks of it he is in better place...
April 23, 2010 at 8:56 a.m.
I don't know about what kind of relationship Rubi had with Vardan but I can say that Ani, the reason YOU were not at the burial is because you were not welcome. Nobody told you and you weren't there because he would not have wanted you there. If he had you would be part of the family already but he dismissed you a long time ago because you are not mentally stable. If its true you cared about my friend, you should let him rest in peace. Stop making up stories, especially that you are gonna have a child. Who would do something like that? That's disgusting to make up something like that about a person that is not here any longer. Please stop writing all these posts all over the internet Ani, it makes you look very unstable. Respect yourself, so others can respect you. Until then, you will never find a man. That's why you are still alone after all these years.
April 23, 2010 at 5:08 p.m.
Hmm...I'm being left with the impression that ol' Varty was checking the oil level at more than one filling station.
April 23, 2010 at 6:44 p.m.
He was a nice guy always had a smile on his face; rest in peace....seriously leave him alone let him rest now....stop making spectacles of yourselves got problems with each other talk it out face to face ALONE not on line where the entire world can see
April 24, 2010 at 3:36 a.m.
Why do women do this to yourselves? Who cares who he loved...he loved himself more! Both Ani and Ruby should be ashamed of yourselves putting your business out there for everyone to read. In the end he left both of you so that makes you even. What are you going to do fight over who gets the ashes? Really ladies shamefull!!
April 24, 2010 at 4:19 a.m.
I can't believe you guys are saying these things about someone has passed. It's obvious he had a thing on with both of you, so you guys should stop arguing. Who cares who was at the burial or not. I'm too getting the impression he was playing on both sides. He had the cake and ate it too. Great for him. And Ruby I'm wondering why you're mad at Ani instead of your boyfriend. If he was crazy in love with you, why did he have someone else. It's ridiculous what both of you are doing. It's him you both should be mad at, not each other. It's obvious he had a relationship with both of you, and you both loved him, so let him rest in peace.
April 24, 2010 at 8:28 p.m.
stop fighting for vartan he s resting in peace. ruby Ani was always welcome in vartans family home and because of u they were broke up otherwise vardan would have his own family and children that he was always dreaming with Armenian girl
April 24, 2010 at 9:27 p.m.
rest in peace brother and cousin from all of us we always love you and you will always live in our hearts forever
April 24, 2010 at 9:37 p.m.
please stop Ani, we know you are "haha" ...if you must continue to write to yourself and make up fake names then we can't control it...hope you feel better and learn to respect yourself. None of my family will come back on here to egg you on in this insanity.
RIP bro. Thank you for bringing your sense of humor. your laugh, your jokes that made no sense...lol...thank you for the memories and for always having the time to talk, even on the phone...thank you for being such a special person, you are with the Angels and you are watching over your loved ones. Help everyone that loves you to have strength and be able to live on. Help your mother and father to deal with this loss, especially your mom, help her be able to have the strength to do this. We love you. Watch over us. We will meet up again Vart. Miss you.
April 25, 2010 at 12:49 a.m.
Vardan didn't have Chihuahuas. He had Pitbulls. Just a correction on what someone else stated. Get your facts straight.
RIP G. Thanks for the pipe! You were a good man. Sorry you left this life so quickly and so tragically. God Bless.
April 25, 2010 at 4:04 p.m.
Haha please state who you are so some people wouldn't get the impresion that haha is me as well, even though I really don't care what some people here think. I know the truth hurts, and some people don't like admitting it, but it's all good with me.
May 2, 2010 at 1:40 a.m.
Shocked, I'm assuming you're not Armenian or else you would very well know that you don't get invited to these type of places, and whoever wants to they can attend, and I knew where and when everything is taking place from his family. I chose not to go because I did not want to see him or remember him like that ok. I wanna remember him alive, the way he was in my mind. My memories are still alive and with him to this day. And if you don't know me I suggest you don't judge. You don't know the type of relationship we had together so therefore you have no right to say anything to me ok. That my dear makes you the unstable one. And I don't need to make lies or stories about Vartan because whatever I'm stating here people that know both of us, know everything about us very well ok. And I suggest you live your life instead of stickiong your nose into mine.
May 10, 2010 at 9:03 p.m.
Dear Ani, Ruby and haha, you need to come see me immediately!
May 21, 2010 at 10:45 a.m.
Wow this is our Armenian girls, you should be ashamed, a guy has paased away, and u guys actiong like an idiots, shame on you, mard darek.............. Rest in peace Vard.
Oct. 21, 2011 at 4:58 p.m.
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