Driver Pleads No Contest in Electrocutions of Good Samaritans in Valley Village

Two women trying to rescue the driver were electrocuted on Aug. 22, 2012 in Valley Village

A Glendale man pleaded no contest Wednesday in the electrocutions of two good Samaritans who tried to rescue him after he crashed into a power pole and fire hydrant and became trapped in his SUV, prosecutors said.

Arman Samsonian, 21, entered his plea to one count of vehicular manslaughter, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced.

Samsonian is set to be sentenced June 6. He faces three years of probation and 70 days of community labor, prosecutors said. He is also expected to be ordered to pay fines, along with restitution to the victims' families.

On Aug. 22, 2012, Samsonian was allegedly speeding when he lost control of his SUV and struck a light pole and sheared a fire hydrant in the 12000 block of West Magnolia Boulevard in Valley Village.

Attempting to rescue the trapped man, Irma Yolanda Zamora, 40, of Burbank, and Stacey Lee Schreiber, 39, of Valley Village were electrocuted when they stepped into a pool of water that had come into contact with exposed wires electrified by 4,800 volts.

Contact Us