WOODLAND HILLS—On May 3, three illegal immigrants from the eastern European country of Georgia were arrested in connection to the burglary and murder of a Woodland Hills man. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents previously had detainers placed on all three perpetrators. The suspects were protected by sanctuary laws. Authorities ignored the detainers to have the men deported.
It was almost 1:00 a.m. on April 26, when Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers responded to a call of a burglary in Woodland Hills. Responding officers found Aleksandre Modebadze, 47, lying on the floor of his home, unconscious. LAFD paramedics declared him dead at the scene.
Paata Kochyashvili, 38, Zaza Otarashvili, 46, and Besiki Khutsishvili 52, reportedly broke into Modebadze’s Woodland Hills home, held him captive, and bludgeoned him to death.
FOX11 first obtained the following information from Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons who indicated that two of the three suspects were previously caught entering the country illegally. One had a $3,000 immigration bond, the other “promised,” to check in with ICE agent. The third suspect’s tourist visa expired. He had two ICE detainers on him for drug and burglary charges.
ICE agents with the assistance of the FBI, located and arrested the suspects. Two were arrested in Glendale, the third was arrested close to Sepulveda Boulevard and Burbank, in Van Nuys. Bail is set at $2 million.
By Sharon