Three illegal immigrants from Eastern Europe have been arrested in connection with a violent home invasion, robbery, and murder that took place in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles.
The suspects were identified as Georgian nationals Paata Kochyashvili, 38, Zaza Otarashvili, 46, and Besiki Khutsishvili, 52. Each of the men has been charged with murder, and their bail has been set at $2 million. According to a report by Fox News, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has issued detainers for all three men who are in the country illegally.
The Los Angeles Police Department responded to a residence in Woodland Hills shortly before 1 am on April 26 after receiving a call for a death investigation. At the scene, officers found 47-year-old Aleksandre Modebadze, who was pronounced dead by paramedics with a fatal head injury.
Homicide detectives claim the suspects entered the home, held the victim captive, and beat him to death. The suspects then stole his property and fled the scene. Modebadze’s surveillance cameras in his home also appeared to have been removed.
“It’s absolutely insane to see this in a neighborhood like this,” one neighbor said, according to KTLA. There’s a strange uptick in crime.”
Following the murder, local authorities received assistance from the FBI to track down and arrest the suspects. One of the men was taken into custody near Sepulveda and Burbank boulevards in Van Nuys, while the other two were apprehended in Glendale.