A man accused of murdering a gas station clerk during a robbery in Los Feliz and the owner of a medical marijuana dispensary during a robbery in Mar Vista the next day pleaded not guilty Tuesday to double murder charges.
Kayshon Moody is charged in the Jan. 17 killing of M.D. Mizu Rahman, 34, who was shot to death Jan. 17 at a Chevron station in the 2100 block of North Vermont Avenue, and the Jan. 18 shooting death of Ovik Oganesyan, 50, at a medical marijuana dispensary at 12480 W. Venice Blvd.
The murder charges include the special circumstance allegations of multiple murders and murder during the commission of a robbery, along with allegations that he personally discharged a handgun during each of the killings.
Moody, 25, is also charged with three counts of second-degree robbery -- two involving Rahman and Oganesyan and one involving a separate robbery Jan. 17.
Co-defendant James A. Eastland, 21, is charged along with Moody in Oganesyan's murder, along with the special circumstance allegation of murder during the commission of a robbery.
Eastland -- who is also charged with two counts of second-degree robbery involving Oganesyan and a separate robbery the same day -- is not charged with the killing of Rahman, who lived in Los Angeles after coming to the United States from Bangladesh.
A collegue told NBC4 that Rahman was a college student studying international business. Candles and flowers from customers lined the door of the gas station the night he was killed.
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"He was a really sweet guy," said a customer named Rochelle. "He always let me bring my dogs in. It's just really sad."
Prosecutors have yet to decide whether to seek the death penalty against the two men, who are due back in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom on March 20 to get a date for a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence to require them to stand trial.
Moody was arrested Jan. 20 by Los Angeles police, while Eastland was arrested a week later. Both men remain jailed without bail.
