Car Owner In Deadly Street Race Pleads No Contest To 2 Counts Of Vehicular Manslaughter

SAN FERNANDO (CBSLA.com) — A man whose Ford Mustang was involved in a Chatsworth street race that ended with two people losing their lives pleaded no contest Thursday to two counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence.

Henry Gevorgyan, 22, faces a year in jail and three years of probation when he is sentenced Jan. 4, according to the DA's Office.

Although Gevorgyan was not driving, he was at the scene of the race and was believed to have acted as the starter.

The man who was driving the Mustang, Karen Gary Balyan, 43, pleaded no contest Tuesday to the same felony counts, and also admitted fleeing the scene after the accident. He also pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor count of assault with a deadly weapon. He is facing 12 years in prison, and is also set to be sentenced next month.

The second driver involved in the race -- Irael Valenzuela, 39 -- also pleaded no contest to two felony counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. He is facing 180 days in jail and five years probation, with sentencing also set for next month. Valenzuela has appeared as a driver in the Discovery Channel's street racing show "Street Outlaws."

Balyan lost control of Gevorgyan's Mustang while racing Valenzuela, according to court testimony.

The crash, which occurred just after 2 a.m. Feb. 26 in the 21400 block of Plummer Street near Canoga Avenue, killed Eric Siguenza, 26, of Los Angeles, and Wilson Thomas Wong, 50, of Torrance. Another spectator was also seriously injured.