Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Father of missing boy, 5, arrested in Las Vegas in son’s L.A. death

Updated Friday, June 23, 2017 | 6:34 p.m.

Click to enlarge photo

Aramazd Andressian

Click to enlarge photo

Two photos show 5-year-old Aramazd Andressian Jr.

Authorities in Las Vegas Friday arrested a Southern California man accused of killing his son, who’s been missing two months, according to Metro Police.

Aramazd Andressian, 35, was booked Friday afternoon on $10 million bail at the Clark County Detention Center on an out-of-state murder warrant, Metro said. He’s not facing any local charges and is awaiting extradition to Los Angeles.

Andressian was arrested about 1 p.m. in an undisclosed location by California officers working in conjunction with Metro and federal authorities, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.

His son, 5-year-old Aramazd Jr., was last seen the early morning hours of April 21, while he was in his father’s care, police said.

Police said they reviewed undisclosed evidence, which led to Los Angeles prosecutors charging Andressian.

Investigators have been searching for the boy since his father was found passed out in a large park in South Pasadena on April 22. Sheriff's officials say the father had taken prescription pills and was found in a car doused in gasoline.

The father was initially arrested on suspicion of child endangerment, but he was later released.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has been mostly silent on the case since serving a search warrant at the home of Andressian Sr.'s mother nearly a month ago.

They have combed Arroyo Seco Park in South Pasadena where the father was found several times in the past few months, using dogs and drones to help in the search.

The boy's mother has publicly pleaded for his safe return.

"To my son, this message is for you my love: be brave, honey," Ana Estevez said through tears on May 18. "I am counting the days until I see you honey and I will never stop looking for you."

Further details were not provided and weren’t expected until Monday morning, police said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.