Party host arraigned in teen death mystery

The 19-year-old host of a party where a Massapequa teen was found dead is behind bars after police say he refused to help the girl after she passed out.Police say Seewoo Sung, 19, was cleaning up bottles

News 12 Staff

Jun 25, 2008, 12:10 AM

Updated 6,004 days ago

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The 19-year-old host of a party where a Massapequa teen was found dead is behind bars after police say he refused to help the girl after she passed out.Police say Seewoo Sung, 19, was cleaning up bottles and cans from the party instead of helping lifeless 18-year-old Natalie Ciappa. Sung, of Seaford, pleaded not guilty to charges of tampering with evidence in court Tuesday.?We are just looking at the tampering with evidence charge,? says Sung?s lawyer, Vincent Trimarco. ?No one is saying he had anything to do with this young girl?s death.?According to police, Ciappa was found Saturday morning by her parents, who began looking for her after she did not return from the party Friday night. Investigators say Sung ignored the father?s call for help while he cleaned up.Trimarco says Sung did not know the girl was still there until her parents came to his house looking for her.According to police, the death is being treated as a homicide, and they are awaiting autopsy and toxicology results from the medical examiner.Sung is being held on $25,000 bail. If convicted, he faces up to four years in prison.