Father of missing South Pasadena boy arrested in Las Vegas on suspicion of murder

SOUTH PASADENA >> Detectives on Friday arrested the father of a 5-year-old South Pasadena boy, who’s been missing for two months, on suspicion of the child’s murder, authorities said.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau detectives arrested 35-year-old Aramazd Andressian Sr. of South Pasadena about 1 p.m. in Las Vegas on suspicion of the murder Aramzd Andressian Jr., whose been missing since April 22, according to Deputy Grace Medrano of the sheriff’s Information Bureau.
The arrest followed a murder charge filed against Andressian Sr. by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
“After reviewing all of the evidence in this case, homicide investigators presented the facts to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and obtained a murder filing against the suspect,” Medrano said in a written statement.
“The suspect was booked at Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department with a bail of $10 million and will return to Los Angeles County pending the extradition process,” she said.
Detectives were assisted in the arrest by the sheriff’s Major Crimes Bureau Fugitive Taskforce, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and the Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Taskforce of the United States Marshals Service, she said.
Andressian Jr. was reported missing by his mother on April 22. He was last seen the day before while with his father, who failed to turn over the child to his mother for a scheduled custody exchange.
Andressian Sr., was found unconscious on April 22 near his car, which was parked at the Arroyo Seco Park in South Pasadena. The vehicle was doused in gasoline and there was a rag sticking out of the gas tank.
He told police he had taken prescription pills that belonged to someone else and did not know what had happened to his son.
A massive search for the missing boy ensued in the following weeks, with officials and volunteers scouring every place the man and son were known to have visited, including the Arroyo Seco Park and the Lake Cachuma Recreation Area in Santa Barbara County.
Andressian Jr.’s remains have not been discovered, sheriff’s spokeswoman Nicole Nishida said.
Attorney Daniel Nardoni, who is representing Andressian Sr., said he was surprised to learn of the murder charge Friday afternoon.
“I’m shocked and surprised, particularly when you have someone, a client, who’s adamant that he does not know the whereabouts of his son, nor did he do anything to harm him,” Nardoni said.
The lawyer said he spoke with Andressian Sr. and advised him to waive extradition proceedings to speed up the legal process. Andressian Sr. was expected to appear in court in Nevada early next week.
No further details were released Friday regarding the arrest of Andressian Sr. Officials planned to discuss the case in more detail at a scheduled press conference on Monday.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact the sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

PHOTOS courtesy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

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