Westlake crash victim tied to murder in Los Angeles

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers DEAD END—A 22-year-old Calabasas man drove his car into the wall of Saint Jude Catholic Church in Westlake Village last Saturday. Sheriff’s deputies classified the incident as a suicide attempt. The hospitalized driver is under investigation for the murder of his girlfriend in Venice, Calif. earlier in the day. Auresh Sahebi, a 22-year-old Calabasas man suspected of murdering his girlfriend earlier in the day, crashed his black Mercedes nto a retaining wall in front of St. Jude Catholic Church in Westlake Village around 10 a.m. Sat., Sept. 24, police said.

According to witnesses, Sahebi was driving at a high speed when he smashed into the wall in an apparent suicide attempt.

Sahebi, who was transported o Providence Holly Cross Health Center in Mission Hills, remains comatose and in critical condiion, officials said.

According to Detective Mike DePasquale of the Los Angeles Police Department, Sahebi’s girlfriend was found murdered in her Venice, Calif., apartment on Saturday morning by her friends, who went to check on her after she missed a breakfast date. Poice said the murder took place sometime between Friday night and early Saturday morning.

Sahebi is the lead suspect in he murder investigation and will be arrested pending his medical status, DePasquale said.

Shortly after the murdered woman was found, LAPD detecives learned of the crash in Westlake Village. Deputies with Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station classified the car crash as a suicide attempt.

“From that point, it didn’t take long to put two and two together,” DePasquale said.

Although there were no previous reports of domestic violence between Sahebi and his girlfriend, friends of the couple said the two had been recently fighting, according to DePasquale.

Because the crash ended in front of a church, the Lost Hills Sheriff ’s Department’s bomb squad was called to check the car for explosives, Sgt. Ken Scheurn said. No explosives or weapons were found in the car.

Police said the car has been impounded and will be searched for evidence.