KEY WITNESS SKIPS HEARING IN CAROL LITTLE MURDER CASE
LOS ANGELES — A potential witness in the case of Karapet Demirdzhyan, accused in the 1993 murder of Carol Little outside contractor Hakop (Jack) Antonyan, failed to appear in court Monday at a pretrial hearing.
Karin Wong Holzinger, former vice president of domestic manufacturing for California Fashion Industries Inc., doing business as Carol Little, was expected to testify as part of the prosecution’s strategy of tying the Antonyan murder to a larger pattern of violence that has affected the Carol Little company for two years. Holzinger was threatened and shot at, and hours after the Antonyan murder, she survived a bomb attack at her Long Beach home.
But, according to deputy district attorney Ellen Aragon, Holzinger — who had been cooperating for 1 1/2 years — used “a technicality” to avoid a subpoena. She suddenly developed a case of the “heebie-jeebies,” said Aragon, who told Superior Court Judge Jacqueline Connor “there was no question she was aware of the date and even was advised telephonically.”
“She wasn’t properly served, so there was no obligation to appear,” Holzinger’s attorney Carol Anderson said later. According to Anderson, Holzinger was served by mail and should have been served in person.
In addition, Anderson said, Holzinger fears for her life. “Her house was firebombed twice and she was shot at on the freeway. Wouldn’t you be scared?” said Anderson.
The matter of Holzinger’s appearance remains unresolved while the district attorney’s office attempts to deliver a subpoena in person, with the hearing to be continued Thursday.
The judge ruled, however, that some evidence involving the firebombing of Holzinger’s home could be admitted into the case. The evidence involves a video and a description of the car from which the firebomb was thrown. She also is considering whether a description of the person in the car, as shown on the videotape, will be allowed.
Last month the district attorney’s office was disappointed when another witness, whom it labeled as a “surprise witness,” refused to cooperate.