Sonia Sovereign

Woman who murdered an elderly man with his own car.

Booking Number: 6479886
Full Name: Sonia Star Sovereign
Race: W (White)
Date of Birth: 12/21/1990
Age: 31
Hair: BLN (Blonde)
Eyes: HAZ (Hazel)
Height: 5 feet 7 inches
Weight: 135 pounds

Charged with a felony. Bail set at 2 million dollars.

Sonia Sovereign killed Valeriy Saakyan on October 8, 2022.

The old man had driven her to Griffith Park. While inside his blue Lexus in the parking lot, they had an argument. The man ended up getting out of the car and the woman got into the driver’s seat. She then purposely ran him over and drove off without checking to see how much she had hurt him.

Paramedics took him to the hospital where he died. The following day, she was arrested after officers in Hollywood Division spotted the car, whose plates had been entered into their system after the previous day’s incident.

Sovereign is originally from Eureka.

She had previously been arrested in Colorado for doing something similar. She asked a man for a ride, and while the man briefly had to go back to his motel room to pick up his belongings, she drove off with his car, which led to a 75-mile police chase.

Her next court date for the L.A. murder is on September 28, 2023. Case number: BA50970201

Criminal Case Summary
Case Number: LACBA509702-01
Defendant Name:SOVEREIGN, SONIA STAR
Violation Date: October 8, 2022
Filing Date: October 11, 2022
Courthouse: Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center

CountCharge SectionCharge StatutePlea
01187(A)Penal CodeNot Guilty
0220001(B)(2)Vehicle CodeNot Guilty
0310851(A)Vehicle CodeNot Guilty Pending