In the early morning hours of August 28, 2021, a dispute over a stolen bottle of alcohol at a house party in Salt Lake City's Sugar House neighborhood tragically escalated, leading to the death of 18-year-old Abdourazak "CJ" Mouhoumed. The party, hosted by 38-year-old Levon Garo Meguerditchian, took a fatal turn when a group of attendees, including Mouhoumed, were accused of stealing liquor and fled the residence located at 609 E. Wilmington Ave.
As Mouhoumed was driving away from the scene, Meguerditchian opened fire on the vehicle, striking him.
The gunshot wound to his head caused Mouhoumed to lose control of his car, which then crashed into two nearby houses. Police were initially called to the area around 3:30 a.m. for a "shots fired" report, but Meguerditchian allegedly misled them by claiming the noise was from fireworks. Investigators initially found no evidence of a crime and left. Later, at approximately 6:33 a.m., a call from a juvenile reporting that a friend was being held hostage brought police back to the address. Upon their return, officers discovered Mouhoumed deceased in the driver's seat of the crashed vehicle.
Following the shooting, Meguerditchian and his girlfriend reportedly forced the remaining partygoers into a laundry room, threatening them and physically assaulting at least one female juvenile whom they believed had invited the individuals who stole the alcohol. Witnesses reported that Meguerditchian even had partygoers use flashlights to search for shell casings in an attempt to conceal the crime. Surveillance footage captured Meguerditchian firing at Mouhoumed's departing vehicle.
Levon Garo Meguerditchian was arrested and subsequently charged in connection with the events. In October 2023, a jury found him guilty of first-degree felony murder for the death of Abdourazak Mouhoumed. He was also convicted on multiple counts of aggravated kidnapping, obstructing justice, and felony discharge of a firearm. His sentencing was scheduled for January 2024. Meguerditchian's girlfriend, Mary Akopyan, also faced charges of kidnapping, obstruction of justice, and assault for her alleged role in detaining the party guests.
