VANDALISM AT RESTAURANT DEPLORED.

Byline: Naush Boghossian Staff Writer

GLENDALE - Police are investigating vandalism at the city's popular Zankou Chicken restaurant, which was splashed with red paint hours after employees said they received an anonymous threatening call.

Police said the owner, employees and others believe the incident was retaliation because the business stayed open on Sunday, the day commemorating the killing of 1.5 million Armenians in Ottoman Turkey in 1915.

``This is obviously done to intimidate, because business owners know that if they choose to stay open, they could potentially suffer some sort of consequence. It's a type of terrorism at its most basic level,'' said Detective Stewart Brackin.

Employees had notified police about 7:30 p.m. Sunday that an anonymous caller had said employees should be ashamed for being open and made further threats, Brackin said, and the vandalism apparently occurred that night after the restaurant closed.

Officers noticed the paint at 4:30 a.m. Monday and contacted the owner.

Zankou owner Rita Iskenderian said that last-minute business reasons forced her to keep the restaurant open the day commemorating the genocide - for the first time in 22 years.

``I feel sad. It's not by closing your store that you're Armenian,'' said Zankou owner Rita Iskenderian. ``It's a shame that people forget all about the good things we've done for the Armenian people, our community.''

Officials at the Armenian National Committee Western Region condemned the vandalism.

``Clearly, no one has the right to impose their will on others. It's a case of intolerance, and that's what April 24 is trying to fight,'' said Armen Carapetian, government relations director of the organization. ``To then turn around and act in an intolerant manner, I think, does the day of remembrance an injustice.''

Anybody with information on the incident is asked to call Glendale police at [phone]. To leave an anonymous tip, please call (818) 507-STOP.