The arraignment of a Glendale woman accused of murder, along with her boyfriend, in connection with the beating and strangulation of a visitor to her condo was postponed Tuesday after she suffered a medical emergency while in jail.
Sparkle Soojian was scheduled to be arraigned for murder in Pasadena but she had a medical emergency at the women’s jail in Lynwood, so it was rescheduled for Thursday.
Her condition was not immediately available, but new details emerged about Soojian and the deadly altercation.
Soojian was living large in recent year, hanging out with some of Hollywood’s biggest celebrities. Photos show her at Elton John’s 2005 Oscar party, when she worked as a freelance writer for online lifestyle magazine LA Splash.
She also ran a popular business called Sparkle’s Angels, hiring out girls to serve drinks at parties and some of LA’s top nightclubs. She comes from a wealthy family in Fresno, a descendant of the founders of Ak Mak, an Armenian Cracker Bread sold around the world.
Her attorney said Tuesday that the family is worried sick after hearing the young heiress been arrested on a murder charge.
“It’s a very sad situation,” said Daniel Behesnilian. “They are concerned about her, hoping everything will work out well.”
Soojian lived here at a condominium on West Windsor Road in Glendale, where she also operated her business.
Investigators allege it was at the condo early last Thursday morning that Soojian’s boyfriend, Jared Kasiewicz, 28, beat and choked a visitor at the condo.
Thirty-one-year-old John Michael King-Smith later died at the hospital.
Soojian and Kasiewicz are charged in the murder and are being held in lieu of $1 million dollars bail each. Kasiewicz pleaded not guilty.
Soonjian’s friend, Courtney Argue, 25, is charged with being an accessory after the murder. The rising pop star, who appears in a YouTube music video featuring Pitbull, also worked for Sparkle’s Angels. She pleaded not guilty Monday and was released on $50,000 bail.
NBC4 has also learned that Soojian was also arrested in March, accused of assault with a deadly weapon involving an alleged attack on her boyfriend and co-defendant, Kasiewicz.
Her attorney said that case will take a back seat to the murder charge once she’s feeling well enough to return to court.
“She had a medical condition for which the doctor’s at County Jail are treating her and until she is, in their opinion ready to be released, she would not appear in court,” Behesnilian said.
Soojian’s attorney said that assuming she’s well enough to be arraigned Thursday, he’ll try to get her bail lowered and get her released during the trial.
