Man gets 15 to life for killing girlfriend

A Glendale man who pleaded no contest to strangling his girlfriend in 2008 and leaving her naked body on the floor was sentenced Friday to 15 years to life in state prison.

Grigor Grigoryan, now 42, was also ordered in Los Angeles County Superior Court to pay $10,000 in restitution in the second-degree murder of Yvette Hakopian, said Sandi Gibbons, a spokeswoman for the county district attorney's office.

Grigoryan was a person of interest after Hakopian was found dead about 2 p.m. May 30 in her home in the 600 block of West Stocker Street.

When Grigoryan was tracked down in a vehicle about 6:30 p.m., he led officers on a chase through Los Angeles and into Hollywood. It ended after a patrol car intentionally hit Grigoryan's vehicle at Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street, sending it onto the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

During his preliminary hearing in 2008, Glendale police testified that Hakopian's mother started screaming after discovering her daughter's naked body in the house.

Los Angeles County coroner's officials confirmed that she had died of strangulation.

Glendale Police Det. Keith Soboleski testified in court that Hakopian had large bruises around her neck and chest, and cuts on her wrist and elbow.

"Nobody could do that to themselves," he testified.

— Veronica Rocha contributed to this report.