Suspect Arrested in Connection With Alleged Elevator Attack

Authorities on Tuesday announced the arrest of a 23-year-old man accused of attacking a woman and trying to rob her inside an elevator in a Santa Monica building nearly four months ago.

Anthony Tigran Arutunian of Whittier remains jailed while awaiting his next court appearance Nov. 28, when a date is scheduled to be set for a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence to require him to stand trial. Arutunian is charged with one felony count each of assault with intent to commit a felony and attempted second-degree robbery.

The woman was attacked at about 9 a.m. on July 11 after she got into an elevator in the subterranean garage of a building on Santa Monica Boulevard. She fought back and her assailant ran out of the elevator when the doors opened on the ground floor, according to police.

Investigators received information last week that evidence collected from the crime scene was allegedly linked to Arutunian, who was listed in a Department of Justice DNA databank. Artutunian was arrested just before 1 a.m. on Thursday after officers saw him leave his residence.