Woman arrested for killing man with his own car in Griffith Park, fleeing scene

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Police have arrested a woman for allegedly running a man over with his own car in Griffith Park, killing him, and then fleeing the scene.

The fatal incident happened Saturday afternoon in a parking lot at Griffith Park. Police say the victim, identified as 70-year-old Valeriy Saakyan, was struck by his own vehicle, a 2006 Lexus. He fell to the ground and then was "intentionally run over by his own vehicle, driven by a female suspect," according to an LAPD statement.

The woman fled the scene in the victim's car and did not attempt to help him.

Paramedics brought Saakyan to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Sunday morning, LAPD officers in the Hollywood area came across a vehicle with collision damage and covered by a blue tarp. The car matched the description of the vehicle wanted in the deadly hit-and-run.

They detained the woman who they saw exiting the vehicle, later identified as 32-year-old Sonia Sovereign, and brought her to the Hollywood police station.

Police say Sovereign was interviewed and confessed to the fatal hit-and-run. She was arrested and booked for murder and bail was initially set at $1 million.

It was not immediately clear whether the victim and suspect knew each other prior to the incident. Initial reports indicated there was some type of dispute between the two before Saakyan was struck with the car.

The video in the media player above is from a previous report on this incident.