Body of boy reported missing in South Pasadena found in Santa Barbara County
LOS ANGELES -- The body of a 5-year-old boy reported missing in South Pasadena several months ago has been found near a Santa Barbara County lake, homicide detectives confirmed Saturday.
Aramazd Andressian Jr. was found near Lake Cachuma on Friday, just hours after his father was extradited from Las Vegas to Los Angeles for his murder.
Based on "additional leads" developed in the case, homicide detectives returned to the lake on Friday in an effort to locate additional evidence, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. It was then that the boy's body was found.
In a brief afternoon press conference by L.A. County coroner officials, Assistant Chief Ed Winter said the department was notified of the body about 4 a.m., and the child's remains were flown to Los Angeles.
Winter said the department is conducting its own investigation and plans to conduct a full exam of the body and possibly match dental records to positively identify the boy.
No further information was released due to a security hold on the case issued by the LASD, according to Winter.
Eyewitness News reached out to the child's mother, and she responded with three broken heart emojis.
By Saturday night, a small memorial was formed in the front of her Baldwin Park home, with candles, balloons, signs and a picture of her son.
The boy's father, also named Aramazd Andressian, was arrested last week in Las Vegas for the boy's killing. Although the body had not yet been found, police said they had presented enough evidence in the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office and obtained a murder filing against the suspect.
Ambrosio Rodriguez, the criminal defense attorney representing Andressian Sr., issued a statement Saturday afternoon saying "all thoughts and prayers are with the Andressian family."
The statement read in part: "This is a sad and solemn day for the Andressian family, one they all hoped would never come."
Rodriguez said he has met with his client in jail and made a statement at 3:30 p.m. in Beverly Hills.
He said Andressian Sr. plans to enter a not guilty plea when he is arraigned on Monday. Rodriguez did not release further details, but said he will say more after the arraignment.
Rodriguez said he will ask for 30-day continuance after the hearing so that he can build a defense case for his client. He will also ask for a reduced bail amount as Andressian Sr. is currently being held on $10 million bail in county jail.
The boy was last seen in the early morning hours of April 21 leaving Disneyland with his father, grandmother and aunt.
A day later, Andressian Sr.'s estranged wife reported her son missing after the father did not drop the boy off as scheduled. The man was found passed out in his car at a South Pasadena park and the child was nowhere to be found.
Over the past two months investigators searched the park, the father's home, the home of Andressian Sr.'s mother and Lake Cachuma.
