3 Charged With Murder In Grisly San Fernando Valley Home Invasion

VAN NUYS, CA — Three men suspected of breaking into a Woodland Hills home and beating the homeowner to death Saturday in an attack that stunned the community were charged with murder Tuesday.

Paata Kochyashvili, 38, Zaza Otarashvili, 46, and Besiki Khutsishvili, 52, were all charged with murder, along with a special circumstance allegation of murder during a robbery or rape. The charge stemmed from the killing that occurred about 1 a.m. Saturday in the 22200 block of De La Osa Street near Topanga Canyon Boulevard. The brutality of the slaying, involving a 47-year-old man killed inside his own home, sent shockwaves through a community already grappling with an increase in burglaries and robberies.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department, Aleksandre Modebadze, who was found suffering from a head injury and was pronounced dead at his home across from Woodland Hills Elementary School early Saturday morning.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department, three people entered the home, held the resident captive and assaulted him, "causing his death." The trio then fled the home "with the victim's property," police said, but no specifics were provided.

The three suspects were arrested later that day. It was unclear what led police to the trio or what may have motivated the killing.

Kochyashvili was arrested near Sepulveda and Burbank boulevards. Otarashvili and Khutsishvili were arrested in the 400 block of Burchett Street in Glendale.

In addition to murder, Kochyashvili was also charged Tuesday with two counts of first-degree robbery and single counts of first-degree burglary with a person present, false imprisonment by violence and dissuading a witness by force or threat.

Otarashvili was charged with two counts of first-degree robbery and a single count of first-degree burglary with a person present. Khutsishvili was charged with two counts of first-degree home invasion and one count of first- degree burglary with a person present.

The LAPD has not publicly said if Modebadze or knew his killers.

All three were being held in lieu of $2 million bail, and all were tentatively set to be arraigned Tuesday afternoon in Van Nuys.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.