Ex-wife, several others arrested in connection with murder of Woodland Hills doctor
LOS ANGELES - Five people have been arrested for the murder of Dr. Hamid Mirshojae who was killed in an ambush-style attack outside a Woodland Hills medical clinic on August 23, LAPD announced Thursday night.
One of those suspects was the doctor's ex-wife, Ahang Mirshojae. Authorities believe the shooting may have been a murder for hire case.
The Los Angeles Police Department and federal agents raided the Calabasas home belonging to the ex-wife Thursday evening.
Ahang Mirshojae, 53, was taken into custody and booked for murder. Another man, 46-year-old Shawn Randolph, was also taken into custody Thursday and booked for murder as well. Both Randolph and Mirshojae are being held without bail.
Ashley Rose Sweeting & Evan Hardman
On Tuesday of this week, police arrested Evan Hardman, 41, of Tomball, Texas, and Ashley Rose Sweeting, 40, of Reseda. The following day, police arrested Sarallah Jawed, 26.
On Thursday, Hardman and Jawed were each charged with murder. The two are each facing a special-circumstance allegation of murder for financial gain.
Hardman is also facing a special-circumstance allegation of murder by means of lying in wait, along with allegations that he personally and intentionally discharged a firearm and that he has one or more prior serious or violent felony convictions, according to court records.
Hardman and Jawed are also charged with one count each of assault with a deadly weapon in connection with an alleged baseball bat attack May 3 on Mirshojae.
Ashley Rose Sweeting, pleaded not guilty Thursday to one count of being an accessory after the fact, along with an allegation that she has one or more prior serious or violent felony convictions.
Deputy District Attorney Benjamin Schwartz told a judge that Sweeting allegedly drove the shooter to and from the crime scene in a "situation that appeared to be a murder for hire." She has a string of criminal convictions for offenses including first-degree burglary and grand theft and is on diversion in a carjacking case, the prosecutor said.
Sweeting was ordered to remain jailed on $1 million bail. She is due back in court Dec. 24.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
- 2 arrested, accused of killing doctor outside Woodland Hills urgent care
- Beloved doctor gunned down outside LA urgent care center
- 3 men beat LA doctor with baseball bats months before deadly shooting: report
Dr. Mirshojae was walking to his SUV in the parking lot of the Woodland Hills Medical Clinic and Urgent Care on Topanga Canyon Boulevard, when a masked man emerged from the corner of the clinic and ran towards him, LAPD stated.
The suspect then fired a shot at Dr. Mirshojae in an ambush-style attack and fled away from the scene.
Mirshojae was 61.