California dad, Aramazd Andressian, pleads guilty to killing his five-year-old son after a trip to Disneyland, as payback to ex-wife! Mom Ana Estevez, weeps in court, while clutching the boy’s ashes
Police believe Andressian killed his son after an outing to Disneyland on April 21, when Andressian failed to return the boy back to his estranged wife after an outing to Disneyland
He previously pled not guilty to murder and was being held on $10m bail
Prosecutors believe he killed son Aramazd Andressian Jr. to get back at his wife
Ana Estevez wept in courtroom Tuesday as she held the urn with her son’s ashes
Police believe boy was killed after he left Disneyland with his father on April 21
The 35-year-old was found alone the next day, passed out from prescription pills in a car doused with gasoline; investigators believe he attempted suicide
The boy could not be found and cops said the father gave inconsistent answers as to his whereabouts but his lawyer says his client adamantly denies killing his son
Aramazd Andressian fled jurisdiction after, but the fugitive, was arrested in Las Vegas, with his dark hair now dyed blonde
Police say he was not acting like a grieving father, and believed he was getting ready to flee the country
The boy’s body wasn’t recovered until June 30; it remains unclear how he died
Aramazd Andressian Sr. [photo], in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Tuesday pled guilty to killing his 5-year-old son after a family trip to Disneyland in April
A California man pled guilty Tuesday to killing his 5-year-old son after a family trip to Disneyland set off a two-month search for the boy’s body.
Prosecutors say Aramazd Andressian Sr., 35, killed his son, Aramazd Andressian Jr., to get back at his estranged wife Ana Estevez while they were going through a divorce.
After investigators repeatedly combed the area surrounding Lake Cachuma in Santa Barbara County, California, they found the boy’s remains on June 30. It remains unclear how the boy was killed or what evidence linked the father to the boy’s death.
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Aramazd Andressian Sr, California dad accused of killing his five-year-old son to get back at his ex-wife, to face murder trial
Aramazd Andressian Sr. cracked a joke with the judge at his first court appearance in Nevada
Andressian Sr. made national headlines in June when he cracked a joke during his extradition hearing. A police officer also said his behavior was inconsistent with that of a grieving parent.
On Tuesday, Estevez was surrounded by sobbing family members as she wept in the front row of the courtroom while holding the urn with her son’s ashes.
He previously pled not guilty to a murder charge and was being held on $10 million bail
California authorities believe Andressian killed his son on April 21. The 35-year-old was found alone the following day, passed out from prescription pills in a car doused with gasoline
Andressian Sr., who wore yellow jail scrubs, entered the plea to first-degree murder in Los Angeles County Superior Court in Alhambra.
He previously pleaded not guilty to a murder charge and was being held on $10 million bail.
Los Angeles County sheriff’s investigators believe the boy was killed in the six-and-a-half hours after he left Disneyland and headed to Lake Cachuma about 150 miles away with his father on April 21.
When Andressian Sr. failed to hand the boy over during a planned custody exchange on April 22, Estevez reported her son missing.
Officials believe the 35-year-old had attempted suicide after he was found alone the following day in Arroyo Seco Park, passed out from prescription pills in a car doused with gasoline.
While Andressian Sr. was unable to account for his son’s whereabouts, investigators believe the murder was ‘pre-planned’ and motivated by the divorce from Estevez.
Investigators searched the area surrounding Lake Cachuma several times before the boy’s remains were finally discovered on June 30.
Officials have not explained what led them to finally find the body, and how the boy died.
The boy’s body was found on June 30 near Lake Cachuma outside Santa Barbara – about 145 miles away from Anaheim, where Disneyland is located
Investigators believe that Andressian killed his son to get back at his ex-wife Ana Estevez for their tumultuous marriage. Estevez pictured left and right with their son
Los Angeles County Sheriff and South Pasadena Police departments searched a drain in the Arroyo Seco wash in South Pasadena, Calif., looking for five-year-old Aramazd Andressian, Jr. in May
Andressian Sr. was arrested and released when police didn’t have enough to keep him behind bars.
He later moved to Las Vegas, where Lt. Joe Mendoza said his behavior was inconsistent with that of a grieving parent.
‘I can only speak for myself. If my son was missing, I would be doing things that (the boy’s mother) was doing. Circulating fliers, looking for your son,’ Mendoza said. ‘He was not doing that. He was socializing in Vegas.’
Mendoza also said: ‘He has not been cooperative, whatsoever.’
Investigators also noted that he lightened his hair and appeared to be making plans to travel outside the country in order to avoid extradition.
But Andressian Sr. appeared carefree and made national headlines when he cracked a joke during his extradition hearing in late June.
Andressian was arrested shortly after his son’s disappearance in April [mugshot on the left] but he was later released when police didn’t have enough to keep him behind bars. He’s pictured on the right in his most recent mugshot, taken after his second arrest late June
The judge informed him that California authorities had 30 days starting Tuesday to claim him, but ‘obviously given the media they’re going to come pick you up’.
Andressian smiled and then laughed when he said: ”They’ll probably take me with them!’
Estevez spoke to NBC4 after Andressian’s bizarre court appearance and said: ‘No justice in the world will bring my Piqui back,’ Estevez said, using her son’s nickname. ‘However, Ara will pay tenfold for all that he has done.’
She also released a statement saying: ‘My heart is shattered and I will miss my son immensely each and every second of every day for the rest of my life.’
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