HOLZINGER SLATED TO TESTIFY IN CAROLE LITTLE MURDER
Byline: Kristi Ellis
LOS ANGELES — Karin Wong Holzinger, former vice president of domestic manufacturing for California Fashion Industries Inc., appeared in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday and was ordered to return this coming Friday to testify in the murder trial of Karapet Demirdzhyan.
The prosecution plans to use Holzinger’s testimony as part of its strategy to tie the murder of Hakop (Jack) Antonyan, a contractor for California Fashion, to a pattern of violence that for two years has affected the company, which produces the Carole Little lines. Holzinger was threatened and shot at while still an employee of the firm, and her house was firebombed hours after Antonyan was murdered on Nov. 2, 1993.
Judge Jacqueline A. Connor also ruled against the prosecution’s motion to admit an enhanced videotape showing the person who threw the firebomb at Holzinger’s house. Connor said that the description of the person in the video is too general and amorphous.
Connor ruled earlier to allow an enhanced video of the car in the bombing attempt.
Deputy District Attorney Ellen Aragon said that the ruling is a setback “to some extent” but added that she plans to have the car video further enhanced.
In another development, defense attorney James Sussman said that the judge has denied his request to have the prosecution and U.S. Attorney’s office disclose the identity of a potential witness who might have evidence exonerating Demirdzhyan.
Jury selection will begin on Thursday.
Holzinger will be one of the first witnesses to testify on Friday, if jury selection is completed by then.