Slain H.B. woman was in abusive relationship, observers allege
Marylou Sarkissian, who authorities say was slain in her Huntington Beach home last week, is remembered by people who knew her as an intelligent and loving mother of three who was trapped in an abusive relationship.
Sarkissian, 50, was found dead at about 1 p.m. Dec. 2 when police did a welfare check at her home in the 9000 block of Litchfield Drive. Jason Becher, described in court documents as Sarkissian’s ex-boyfriend, was arrested the following day in Grants Pass, Ore., after being sought as a suspect in her death.
The cause of death has not been released.
Becher, 41, has been charged with murder and a special-circumstances sentencing enhancement of lying in wait, according to Orange County Superior Court records. He is in custody in Oregon and is expected to be extradited to Orange County to stand trial.
If convicted, he would face a minimum sentence of life in state prison without possibility of parole, according to the Orange County district attorney’s office.
“As you all can imagine, our hearts are broken and we are still trying to process what happened,” Debra Zdrazil, Sarkissian’s sister, wrote on Facebook. “Thank you to all for reaching out with your kind words of love, support and prayers.”
Sarkissian’s cousin Natal Morrow started a Gofundme page this week to raise money for funeral expenses and the cost of raising Sarkissian’s children, Robert, 16, and 13-year-old twins Ian and Isabel. More than $6,000 in donations had been registered by Friday afternoon.
“Those of you who knew Marylou and her children knew that she was a caring, intelligent and loving mother who was tragically taken too soon,” Morrow wrote on the page. “Marylou’s family is forever changed after this senseless tragedy.”
Becher and Sarkissian, a hospital sales representative, had dated on and off for the past five years, Zdrazil said.
Sarkissian often would speak about their tumultuous relationship during appointments at Addicted to Hair, a salon in Newport Beach that she would visit every few weeks for extensions, haircuts and coloring, according to Ashley Baez, who worked at the salon as a receptionist.
Baez said Sarkissian was always smiling and had a positive attitude.
“She was a really soft-spoken, sweet woman,” Baez said. “She always talked about doing things with her kids and was really just pleasant to be around.”
However, when the conversation turned to her relationship with Becher, Sarkissian would shake as she described him harassing her by phone and showing up at her house uninvited, Baez said. A few times, Sarkissian came in with bruises on her arms and extensions ripped out of her hair, Baez said.
Sarkissian said a few months ago that she called police after Becher tried to strangle her with a towel, Baez said.
Huntington Beach police have released no information about the couple’s relationship.
Becher had been previously incarcerated for violent crimes, and Sarkissian’s sister was granted a restraining order against him in September, court records show.
According to court records, Becher pleaded guilty in 2001 to four counts of corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant, assault with a deadly weapon or force likely to produce great bodily injury, false imprisonment and possession of marijuana for sale, all felony charges that originated in 1999.
He also pleaded guilty to making criminal threats, a misdemeanor.
He was sentenced to three years and eight months in prison, according to court records. It wasn’t clear how long he served.
In a separate case, Becher pleaded guilty in 2005 to inflicting corporal injury and to unlawful taking of a vehicle, both felonies. He was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison, court records show. It also wasn’t clear how long he served in that case.
Zdrazil’s restraining order request alleged that Becher had been harassing Zdrazil through texts and voicemails since June 28 and threatened to smear her reputation and pay someone to hurt her. She indicated in court papers that Becher owned or had access to a gun.
Cindy Borella, who owns Addicted to Hair, said she hadn’t heard about Sarkissian’s death until Wednesday, when she didn’t show up for an appointment.
She said Becher had a way of “getting under Marylou’s skin” and drawing her back into communicating with him.
“I don’t understand how he was even walking around out of jail with his record,” Borella said. “I’m just sick about it. We saw this coming, but I can’t believe it’s actually real.”
Twitter: @HannahFryTCN
