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THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012
Volume 11 Issue 189
Santa Monica Daily Press
DEGREE PLAN ROLLS OUT SLOWLY SEE PAGE 3
We have you covered
THE TELL ON ISSUE
Neighbors of alleged prostitutes react to arrests BY SEAN FITZ-GERALD Special to the Daily Press
COLORADO AVE It’s a hot, sunny day in
A development agreement is a piece of legislation that allows a developer to build outside of the local zoning requirements. That will be pretty hard to do if the plans remain as they are, said Frances Campbell, Eldridge’s attorney. “We have an order from the court saying that Catherine Eldridge has the right to live in F-12,” Campbell said. “I’ve seen the development plan. They’ve got a building, building D, right on top of her space.” The case stems from a settlement agree-
Santa Monica and you’re standing on your balcony. Your next door neighbor, a younglooking blonde, is sunbathing on her balcony. She’s attractive and she’s wearing a revealing, brightly colored bikini. She notices you and starts up a conversation. For many collegeage males, this would be a dream come true. But for the residents of The Plaza At The Arboretum at 2200 Colorado Ave., it turns out there’s more than meets the eye. Federal prosecutors say the apart- KASSIANOVA ment complex was home to prostitutes. Mher “Mike” Hakopyan, 38; his current wife, Natalya Muravyeva, 31; and his ex-wife, Alla Kassianova, 43, are now facing charges for running an international prostitution ring. Hakopyan and Muravyeva were arrested Monday by special agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and detectives from the Santa Monica Police Department. Kassianova is still being tracked down. The charges against Hakopyan, Muravyeva and Kassianova are the culmination of a joint 10-month probe by federal agents and SMPD detectives. The case is currently being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. According to the case affidavit, the defendants were operating a large-scale prostitution ring that brought women, primarily from Eastern Europe, to work in Southern California. The affidavit lists units 635 and 705 at The Plaza as “identified brothels,” stating that Hakopyan was listed as an emergency point of contact for both units. The affidavit also identifies 11 females who are tied to Hakopyan, five of whom listed their destination addresses as 2200 Colorado Ave. when attempting to enter the U.S.
SEE RULING PAGE 10
SEE RESPONSE PAGE 11
GROWING CONCERN
Daniel Archuleta daniela@smdp.com Members of Santa Monica Treesavers gather Wednesday in front of City Hall to protest the removal of juniper trees located on the soon-to-be redesigned lawn. Two of the specimens will be relocated to a park being developed across from City Hall, while two have been red-tagged.
New wrinkle for trailer park saga Two residents can’t be moved for pending development, judge rules BY ASHLEY ARCHIBALD Daily Press Staff Writer
COLORADO AVE Two residents of Village Trailer Park secured a big win last week when a Los Angeles Superior Court Judge ruled that they could not be moved from their homes, despite the owner’s desire to close the park. The June 13 ruling by Judge Cesar Sarmiento says that the Village Trailer Park cannot terminate the leases of Catherine Eldridge or Loretta Newman unless a government entity tells them they must move.
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That could be a problem for Village Trailer Park, LLC., a company that has been trying to close the park since 2006 to make way for a 500-unit mixed-use development with affordable housing and high-priced condominiums, particularly since Newman and Eldridge live on opposite ends of the park. The Planning Commission was expected to decide whether or not to approve the development agreement for that project at its meeting Wednesday night. Results of that meeting were not available by presstime.
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