WHAT:
News Conference

WHEN:
Tuesday, July 13, 2004
10:00 a.m.

WHERE:
Saticoy Street and Lankershim Boulevard, Crime Location

Los Angeles: The City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Police Department will announce a $25,000 reward on an unsolved North Hollywood Area murder. In an effort to generate additional avenues of investigation, a motion was presented to the Los Angeles City Council by Council Member Tony Cardenas, requesting the Council to offer a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest, prosecution and conviction of the suspects responsible for the shooting death of Naif Sahoum. The motion was passed.

On June 29, 2004, at about 6:30 a.m., as 41 year-old Naif Sahoum was opening his market located at 7614 Lankershim Boulevard, a lone suspect approached Sahoum and forced him into the market at gunpoint. Once inside, the suspect shot and killed Sahoum for no apparent reason. The suspect ransacked the cash register area, possibly removing money. The gunman then ran away from the location.

Detectives have obtained a video of the crime in progress and the suspect is described as a male Caucasian with long shoulder length gray hair. He is approximately 5’7" to 5"10" tall and medium build. He was also wearing a baseball hat with a white emblem on the front and red and blue on the sides. The suspect appears to be approximately 40 to 50 years of age and was armed with an unknown caliber handgun.

Mr. Sahoum has owned the market for nine years and lives with his family, a wife and two children in the City of Burbank.

Anyone with information is requested to contact North Hollywood Area Homicide Detectives, at 818-623-4016. On weekends and during off-hours, call the 24-hour toll free number at the Detective Information Desk, at 1-877-LAWFULL (1-877-529-3855).

This advisory was prepared by Los Angeles Police Department’s Media Relations Section, at 213-485-3586.