A former Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy was arrested last month after police alleged that he was involved in a robbery and shooting.
Adrian Tsaroukian, 23, is now in jail at the county’s Twin Towers Correctional Facility, facing felony charges on accusations of robbery and shooting at a car.
Just after 2 a.m. on Sept. 22, Los Angeles police responded to a call about a possible armed assault near Pico and Crenshaw. A man at the scene told them he’d been approached by two men who then robbed him at gunpoint with a semiautomatic handgun.
After the two other men fled in a car, he told police, he got in his vehicle and started following them. When the suspects spotted him in pursuit, one of them got out of their car and fired two rounds in his direction, according to police.
The shots hit the man’s car door, and he was not injured. One of the suspects reportedly fled with the gun and the stolen property. The other suspect, identified by police as Tsaroukian, was arrested at the scene.
Two days later, criminal court records show, Tsaroukian was arraigned and pleaded not guilty. Bail was set at $500,000.
His attorney did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement Tuesday that the former deputy’s alleged conduct “damages the integrity and trust” in the agency among the community.
“The department does not tolerate any behavior that compromises our values or mission and individuals who engage in criminal activity will be held accountable,” the statement said.
Tsaroukian started working for the Sheriff’s Department as a trainee in late 2022, according to county payroll records.
A magazine published by the deputies’ union listed him as part of Sheriff’s Academy Class 464 — the class in which many members were injured and traumatized in late 2022 when an SUV plowed into them during an early-morning training run in Whittier. Twenty-five trainees were hurt, and one later died. It’s not clear whether Tsaroukian was among the injured, but he went on to graduate from the academy and began working in the county’s jails, where new hires typically begin their careers.
While Tsaroukian was stationed at Men’s Central Jail in 2023, the department said, it “became aware of allegations” involving him; officials didn’t specify what those allegations entailed, saying only that they related to off-duty conduct. Officials opened an internal investigation and Tsaroukian was relieved of duty in August 2023.
That month, the state suspended his peace officer certification on grounds of unspecified criminal charges and unreasonable use of force. Still, county payroll records show the department paid him just over $100,000 in 2023.
While Tsaroukian was relieved of duty, he “allegedly engaged in criminal misconduct,” the department said in a statement. Officials again didn’t specify what the misconduct may have been, but said he “separated” from the agency late this August.
Just over three weeks later, he was arrested in connection with the alleged robbery.
Tsaroukian is due back in court on Oct. 8 for a preliminary hearing to determine whether there is enough evidence to move the case forward toward a trial.
