A quiet Van Nuys neighborhood of manicured lawns, palm timber and single-family houses has been embroiled in a loud squabble over a practice horn that one house owner has affixed to a tree and used to set off drawn-out blares at irregular intervals.
Whereas the window-rattling blasts over the past two months have drawn complaints and calls to police, they’ve additionally garnered concern from Peach Avenue neighbors over the well-being of the house owner.
The newest chapter within the practice horn saga befell Wednesday when Los Angeles police arrested Gary Boyadzhyan, 50, an unemployed automotive technician, who set off the horn after beforehand promising to maintain it silent. In an interview with The Occasions, he described the drama as a “cry for assist” and alluded to being “wronged” by somebody, with out elaborating.
“He’s a pleasant man who’s simply going by means of one thing,” a neighbor mentioned about Boyadzhyan, echoing the sentiment of most neighbors.
Boyadzhyan connected his setup, just like a big-rig or practice horn, to a palm tree in his yard. The horn hangs over his one-story residence.
Three horns had been faraway from this yard tree.
(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Occasions)
Since June, Boyadzhyan has set off the horn in lengthy belches within the late afternoon or at evening, in response to neighbors on Peach Avenue, an in any other case quiet residential space.
On Wednesday morning, Los Angeles Police Division officers visited him.
“I didn’t know the place it was coming from all this time,” neighbor Clara Espinoza mentioned in regards to the horn as she walked by Boyadzhyan’s residence. She watched as three officers marched as much as his door.
“Oh, it’s Gary’s home,” Espinoza mentioned with a be aware of shock. She’s lived within the neighborhood for twenty-four years and couldn’t pinpoint the supply of the horn blasts. She had deliberate to name police and famous that the frequency of the horn had elevated in the previous couple of weeks.
“He’s a pleasant sufficient man and I say hey to him at any time when I stroll by,” she mentioned. “ that is within the E-book of Revelations. The horns. Nicely, trumpets. But it surely’s like the identical factor. It’s alarming.”
The officers knocked on his door for a number of minutes.
“We simply wish to discuss,” one of many officers mentioned as a Occasions reporter watched from the sidewalk.
Boyadzhyan appeared at his door in shorts and a T-shirt. He spoke to the officers for a number of minutes. After the dialog, Officer Chase Lambert mentioned the decision to the residence was over a neighborly dispute. He and different officers declined to elaborate on the dispute.
“We’re conscious,” Lambert mentioned motioning to the property and the horn. “There are issues which are being labored on to alleviate the horn challenge.”
Boyadzhyan answered his door and spoke to a Occasions reporter about his go to with the LAPD.
“I’ve a problem with LAPD Van Nuys,” he mentioned, referring to the Police Division’s native bureau. “I even have a authorized case that’s … it’s over an individual who wronged me and it price me every part. It price me my job. Every part.”
He didn’t elaborate in regards to the scenario and why he’s setting off his horn and different alarms from his property. He added that he’s an out-of-work automotive technician and that the entire scenario with the horn is a “cry for assist.”
“In the event that they had been involved, they might have come over to speak with me,” he mentioned about his neighbors. “As an alternative, I’ve strangers knocking right here, police, reporters.”
When requested whether or not he deliberate to maintain the horn off, he mentioned, “I didn’t have any plans to show it on proper now.”
Just a few hours later, the horn sounded once more, in response to his neighbors. LAPD officers arrived on the residence, handcuffed Boyadzhyan whereas he was standing on his entrance garden and led him to a police automobile. The LAPD mentioned he was arrested on suspicion of interfering with a peace officer and disturbing the peace, that are each misdemeanors.
Boyadzhyan was booked right into a county jail shortly after 9 p.m. and launched on his personal recognizance about 5:30 a.m. Thursday, in response to jail information. He didn’t reply to requests for remark.
Information station ABC7 first reported in regards to the practice horn on Peach Avenue.
Espinoza, who lives across the nook from Boyadzhyan, mentioned the horn was loud sufficient to rattle her home windows. One other neighbor, who declined to offer their title out of privateness considerations, mentioned Boyadzhyan would set off the horn for 20 to 40 intervals at a time. Whereas they acknowledged that the horn was annoying, they’re extra frightened about Boyadzhyan’s well-being.
Boyadzhyan is usually seen strolling round his property late at evening, generally utilizing energy instruments to backyard or engaged on automobiles in his driveway, in response to neighbors.
Earlier than his arrest, a spokesperson for Metropolis Councilmember Imelda Padilla’s workplace mentioned it had not obtained any complaints in regards to the horn.
“Our workplace might be coordinating with applicable authorities to deal with these considerations and produce order again to the neighbors on Peach [Avenue] and make sure the particular person is obtainable assist,” Padilla mentioned in a press release. “This neighborhood deserves peace and quiet in its houses, and the present scenario is unacceptable.”
