Angela “Angie” Kukawski, a respected Los Angeles business manager who worked with the Kardashians, Nicki Minaj, and other high-profile clients, has died in a suspected homicide. Her boyfriend, Jason Baker, was arrested and charged with murder, the Los Angeles Police Department said Wednesday. Kukawski was 55.
Kukawski was reported missing on Dec. 22. The next day, Los Angeles and Simi Valley police found her body inside her car, parked on a street in Simi Valley, police said. The Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office later ruled Kukawski’s death a homicide.
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Baker, 49, remains in jail in lieu of $3.07 million bail, reports CBS Los Angeles. “Detectives believe that Barker killed the victim inside their Sherman Oaks residence, placed her inside her vehicle, and drove to Simi Valley,” the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement, reports ABC7. No other details of the case have been released.
Kukawski was the mother of five children, her friends told Variety. She was “beloved” in the industry and a “heart-working… straight-shooter,” according to a music business associate. She recently worked for Boulevard Management, a firm that specializes in financial management services for entertainers, athletes, and entrepreneurs. Kukawski’s clients included Minaj, Kanye West, Offset, the Kardashians, and the estate of Tupac Shakur. She was also known as Angela Castro.
“We are saddened and heartbroken by the loss of our colleague, Angie Kukawski,” Boulevard’s Todd Bozick told Variety. “Angie was a kind, wonderful person, and she will be greatly missed by all who knew her. Our deepest condolences go out to all of Angie’s family and friends.”