A Santa Monica man has been charged with murdering his estranged wife as she left a religious meeting in Encino with their teenage son, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced Wednesday.
Sean Farzan, 64, is set to be arraigned Feb. 20 in a Van Nuys courtroom on one count each of first-degree murder and felony child abuse under circumstances or conditions likely to cause great bodily injury or death, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
The charges stem from the Feb. 5 shooting death of Linda Farzan, 54, amid their pending divorce, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
Farzan allegedly fled on foot, but was arrested nearby. He remains behind bars without bail, jail records show.
Farzan could face a potential life prison sentence if convicted as charged, prosecutors said.
“This was a tragic and deeply disturbing shooting that took place in front of a child,” Hochman said in a statement announcing the charges. “No family should ever have to endure such a tragedy. We will do everything in our power to ensure that the person responsible is held fully accountable for this senseless and brutal crime.”