Man Sentenced in Slaying of Carole Little Contractor

A reputed “hit man” was sentenced in Los Angeles to 29 years to life in prison for the ambush slaying of one of the Carole Little clothing company’s top sewing contractors.

Karapet Demirdzhyan, 36, was convicted of murdering Hakop “Jack” Antonyan. He was the first victim of what became known as the “Carole Little Murders,” crimes thought to be related to a change in the Southern California-based designer’s long-standing practice of employing independent subcontractors.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Ellen Aragon said Demirdzhyan was assured a minimum of 25 years, plus three to five years for using a gun in the Nov. 2, 1993, crime.

During trial, Aragon argued that the murder of Antonyan, who was gunned down in his Mercedes-Benz outside his Glendale sewing shop, was in retaliation for efforts by the Carole Little firm to cut back on the number of its sewing contractors.

She acknowledged that the prosecution could not spell out who was behind the murder, but told jurors it was clear Demirdzhyan, who was sentenced Friday, was “either hired or doing some kind of a favor for someone else” and had “no personal vendetta.”

A few hours after Antonyan’s death, the home of Carole Little clothing firm Vice President Karin Holzinger was bombed.

Jurors learned of that bombing and evidence that linked Demirdzhyan to it, even though he was not charged with the crime.

While Demirdzhyan was in jail, two Carole Little executives were gunned down, and Antonyan’s brother and his wife were shot while driving home from the Glendale plant they once ran together. They survived and the gunman escaped.