2 people charged in killing of Woodland Hills doctor expected to appear in court
Two people charged in the murder of a slain Woodland Hills doctor are expected to appear in court Monday for what police describe as an ambush-style, target hit.
Sarallah Jawed, 26, is expected to go before a Los Angeles Superior Court judge a few days after he was arrested and charged for the killing of 61-year-old Dr. Hamid Mirshojae. Ashley Rose Sweeting, 40, is expected to appear in court in Van Nuys.
Mirshojae was gunned down on the evening of Aug. 23 when he was leaving his medical clinic along Topanga Canyon Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The shooter had been hiding around a corner of the clinic waiting for Mirshojae to leave when he opened fire multiple times, police said. Miroshojae was later pronounced dead.
Ahang Mirshojae, 53, was divorced from the physician in 2010, public records show. She was arrested on Thursday but has not been charged.
On Friday, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced criminal charges against three individuals: Jawed, Sweeting and 41-year-old Evan Hardman.
Jawed and Hardman have been charged with murder and assault with a deadly weapon, according to prosecutors. Jawed and Hardman are each facing a special-circumstance allegation of murder for financial gain.
Jawed is accused of assaulting the doctor in May months before the deadly shooting, according to prosecutors. They also allege Jawed facilitated the killing and drove Hardman out of state a few days later.
Hardman was arrested on Tuesday in the Houston area. Prosecutors believe Hardman is the suspected shooter. He is awaiting extradition, according to the LA County District Attorney's Office.
Prosecutors have charged Sweeting as an accessory after the fact. They believe she drove Hardman to and from the scene of the deadly shooting. She pleaded not guilty at a court hearing Thursday, along with an allegation that she has one or more prior serious or violent felony convictions.
Deputy District Attorney Ben Schwartz told Superior Court Judge Susan J. De Witt that Sweeting allegedly drove the shooter to and from the crime scene in a "situation that appeared to be a murder for hire."
Prosecutors have not announced charges against the doctor's ex-wife or a final suspect, 46-year-old Shawn Randolph. On Thursday, the LAPD said the case for charges against them has been presented to the DA's office for consideration.
Authorities have yet to figure out how all the individuals arrested in the investigation know each other. While prosecutors allege Hardman and Jawed took part in the killing for financial gain, authorities have not identified a possible motive for Dr. Mirshojae's ex-wife, and the other two people arrested in connection with his death.
