YEREVAN. – The fire at an apartment house in Yerevan on Saturday was not accidental; it was an attempt to conceal a murder.

The operative police squad that arrived on the scene discovered the burnt body of the apartment’s owner, 64-year-old Armine Hovveyan, who also had fractures on her head. At the apartment house, the police also found 43-year-old Karen Petrosyan, who was taken to hospital with bodily injuries, respiratory burns, and alcohol poisoning, Armenian Police Force Press Service informed Armenian News.NEWS.am.     

A criminal case is launched against Petrosyan, on Sunday, on charges of murder, robbery, and deliberate destruction of—or damage to—property. The police have found that, on Saturday at noon, Karen Petrosyan, having used alcohol, went to Armine Hovveyan’s apartment house where he consumed more alcohol, and then hit Hovveyan over the head with a hammer several times and killed her. Afterwards, stealing 40,000 drams ($107 US) and jewelry belonging to Hovveyan, he set the apartment house on fire in order to hide the traces of the crime, but he was unable to leave the house.                

The fire brigade brought Petrosyan out of the house and transferred him to hospital where he escaped, but the police found and placed him under custody.

The stolen money and jewelry are seized. Karen Petrosyan is under arrest, and an investigation is launched.   

Armenian News-NEWS.am reported about this fire earlier.