28 June, 2017
The same day the child was reported missing, Andressian Sr., was found unconscious near his vehicle, which was parked at the Arroyo Seco Park in South Pasadena.
Aramazd Andressian Sr is suspected of killing his son Aramazd Jr in April. His body has not been found.
The suspect, sporting dyed, light-colored hair, calmly told a judge in Las Vegas that he would not resist being sent back to Los Angeles.
He was arrested that same day, but later released due to insufficient evidence, detectives said.
Andressian has been uncooperative and given false information to investigators since he was placed under suspicion, Mendoza said. Before being arrested on murder charges, Andressian Sr. had spent 47 days in Las Vegas, NV after his son, Aramazd Andressian Jr. went missing.
Authorities believe that a South Pasadena father killed his 5-year-old son to get back at his ex-wife, calling the alleged murder "pre-planned".
Surrounded by law enforcement, the boy's mom, Ana Estevez, made a plea at a news conference in May for her son's safe return. Investigators also believe Andressian was planning to leave the U.S. and flee to a country that does not have an extradition agreement with the U.S., Mendoza said. Officials have not said whether they found the boy's remains or what evidence led to the arrest.
Anyone with any information about this ongoing case can call the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department at 323-890-5500 or police in South Pasadena, California, at 626-403-7297.
Authorities say the father of a missing California boy had become a flight risk when he was arrested on a murder charge last week in Las Vegas.
Legal experts say so-called "no body cases" can result in convictions, but they present an additional challenge for prosecutors: proving the victim is actually dead.
The boy's body has never been found.
Mendonza said Andressian Sr. and his son, Aramazd Andressian Jr., were last seen leaving Disneyland in Anaheim at about 1 in the morning on April 21, the day before the boy went missing. His auto had been doused with gasoline and prescription drugs were found at the scene.
Andressian Sr. was found later that morning, unconscious in a South Pasadena park.
Andressian's attorney, Daniel Nardoni, has said his client "is adamant that he never harmed his son Aramazd and is innocent of the charges".
Aramazd Andressian Sr was found the following day passed out in a petrol-soaked auto.
Police say the father had taken prescription pills and was found doused in gasoline in what they say was a failed suicide bid. There was a massive search effort for the missing boy in the Lake Cachuma area, because that's where his father was seen shortly after the boy's disappearance.
Neighbors in Montebello, where Ara's paternal grandmother lives, maintain the boy is still alive, some speculating that he's out of the country. The toddler, however, was not with his father at that time.
Ana Estevez included this photo of her son Aramazd "Piqui" Andressian Jr.in a public Facebook post on May 17, 2017, when she first spoke out about his disappearance. Andressian Sr. would later tell authorities that he had no recollection of what had happened to his son. He said no idea where the child disappeared to.
