Ovik Oganesyan, a 50-year-old man from Los Angeles, California, was tragically shot and killed on January 18, 2017. The incident occurred at a medical marijuana dispensary located at 12480 W. Venice Blvd. in Mar Vista, where Oganesyan was working at the time. Witnesses reported seeing a man and a woman in dark hooded sweatshirts enter the dispensary shortly before gunshots were heard. Oganesyan was found wounded inside the dispensary and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The initial investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department indicated that the motive for the shooting was robbery.
The case saw significant developments over the following years. James A. Eastland, 25, and Kayshon Lamont Moody, 31, were identified as the primary suspects. Eastland pleaded guilty to murder and robbery charges related to Oganesyan's death and was sentenced to 40 years to life in state prison. He testified against Moody, revealing that Moody had planned the robbery, believing the dispensary lacked adequate security. Eastland described how he waited in the lobby until he heard gunshots, then entered the dispensary through a shattered reception window to steal jars of marijuana while Oganesyan pleaded for help.
Moody was convicted of first-degree murder for Oganesyan's death and the murder of another victim, M.D. Mizu Rahman, at a Chevron station a day earlier. He was also found guilty of multiple counts of second-degree robbery. The jury found special circumstance allegations of murder during the commission of a robbery and multiple murders to be true. Moody was sentenced to two consecutive life prison terms without the possibility of parole. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office decided not to seek the death penalty against him.
The case highlighted the violent risks associated with the marijuana dispensary business and underscored the importance of security measures. The testimonies and evidence presented during the trials painted a grim picture of the events leading to Oganesyan's death, including the suspects' subsequent actions, such as fleeing to Las Vegas and committing additional crimes. The convictions and sentences brought some measure of justice for Oganesyan's family and the community affected by these tragic events.
