A California teenager has been charged with three counts of murder and one count of reckless driving in connection to a three-vehicle car crash in early August that killed the 21-year-old son of comedian Tony Baker and two others, according to People.
Hamlet Arseni Aghajanyan was arrested and charged on Thursday with three counts of murder and one count of reckless driving for his alleged involvement in the fatal incident, per the reports.
Cerain, 21, Jaiden Johnson, 20, and Natalee Moghaddam, 19, died on August 3 after their silver Volkswagen was involved in a fatal collision with a gray Kia and a black Mercedes Benz at the intersection of Glenoaks Boulevard and Andover Drive in Burbank, California.
A fourth victim survived but remains hospitalized and Aghajanyan “sustained serious injuries and was transported to a local trauma center for medical treatment,” the authorities reported.
In an official statement, the Burbank Police department detailed the findings of their investigation.
“On August 3, 2021, three unwitting victims lost their lives in a fatal traffic collision which occurred at the intersection of Glenoaks Boulevard and Andover Drive,” the statement read. “The victims have been identified as Cerain Anthony Raekwon Baker, Jaiden Kishon Johnson, and Natalee Asal Moghaddam. A fourth victim was hospitalized with critical injuries. This tragic and avoidable event was caused by subjects racing vehicles and driving recklessly at very high rates of speed.”
Tony Baker, whose popularity grew as a comedian for doing voiceovers on short video clips of animals, has been sharing his feelings on social media as he copes with the devastating loss of his son and praising the strength of his wife during their most difficult time.
People have been applauding me for my strength in these painful streets but the REAL MVP is Cerain's mother," Tony wrote on his Twitter Monday. "We all know a Mother's love is next level deep but she has been amazing moving through this nightmare."
“Sharing my journey through this with you guys may seem odd to some,” said Baker, “but it actually helps me.”
“Handling that delicate balance of being fully invested in her children’s lives, but also giving space. Listening to our children instead of just telling. This is the worst thing we could imagine, but she is pushing through with pure strength,” Baker continued.
Aghajanyan pleaded not guilty to the charges during an arraignment on Monday and he’s due back in court on Oct. 6.
He’s currently being held on a $6 million bond.
