Top LA chef is accused by estranged wife of torturing and killing their two pet cats

A chef at Hollywood hot spot Horses claimed in a recent divorce filing that her husband and co-owner of the restaurant tortured and killed their cats.

Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Johnson filed a restraining order against Will Aghajanian in November 2022, That reports the Los Angeles Times.

She claimed that Aghajanian joked about feeding their kitten to coyotes, then watched him “violently shake it,” and it died the next day. Aghajanian threw the dead cat in the trash and insisted on keeping the body in the house,” she wrote.

Johnson also claimed that Aghajanian’s “mental and psychological abuse” prevented her from realizing what he was doing to the animals before it was too late.

Aghajanian denied the gruesome allegations in the court documents, calling them “false allegations.” He then claimed he was a victim in the marriage, saying Johnson had repeatedly threatened to kill him and burned him at least twice with a metal spatula and spoon that she first placed in a deep fryer, according to court records.

Johnson and Aghajanian’s Horses restaurant opened in September 2021, received rave reviews and was an instant celebrity favorite

Johnson and Aghajanian’s Horses restaurant opened in September 2021, to rave reviews and an instant celebrity favourite.

It was on Eater LA’s “hottest new restaurants” heatmap for months, and the Los Angeles Times called it “a new modern LA institution” and “the most exciting new dining experience of the past year.”

But the co-chefs, who once trained at Noma in Copenhagen, widely hailed as the world’s best restaurant, have been at odds for years.

Johnson filed her request for the restraining order in November 2022 to keep Aghajanian away from her, claiming he had physically assaulted her on multiple occasions while they were together.

She alleged that in 2019, Aghajanian dragged her by the legs on the floor as she screamed and tried to resist.

The filing also alleged that Aghajanian was responsible for the deaths of both of their cats.

“Will and I have had cats die mysteriously, including one in 2017 that I took to a shelter when she was seriously injured overnight. The shelter told me she had been badly abused, but Will denied it.’

Horses was on Eater LA’s “heat map” of “hottest new restaurants” for months and the Los Angeles Times called it “a new modern LA institution” and “the city’s most exciting new dining experience in the past year.”

After the filing, both were still allowed to be in Horses after the order was filed, but Aghajanian had to stay 10 feet away from Johnson, it was ordered

Johnson and Aghajanian opened Horses in September 2021

‘I believed him. Then, last month, we got another kitten,” she wrote, detailing how it didn’t take long for that kitten to die, too, after he said he didn’t like it.

Johnson has also asked Aghajanian to stay 100 yards away from their dogs, Pancho, Javi and Spud, according to the filing.

Aghajanian, who claimed he was a victim in the marriage, said in the filings that it was actually Johnson who abused their animals.

“She is falsely accusing me of things she did or threatened to do to me and my pets,” he wrote. “My pets are like children to me and I love them dearly.”

‘I am afraid of [Johnson] that I am the victim of [her] long-term abuse that took place throughout our relationship,” he wrote.

The domestic violence restraining order filed by Johnson was approved and reissued on May 1, according to court documents.

Yet both were still allowed to be in Horses after the warrant was filed, but Aghajanian was required to stay 10 feet away from Johnson.