After the boy’s father, 35-year-old Aramazd Andressian, was found in an unconscious state in a park in South Pasadena, police are searching for his son, five-year-old Aramazd Andressian Jr.
As reported by the LA Times, the boy’s parents are currently going through a divorce and custody battle and currently share custody on a week-to-week basis. When the five-year-old boy is with his father, the mother keeps in touch with him via Skype twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. She first became concerned when she couldn’t contact Andressian on Thursday last week.
No sign of father or five-year-old boy on Saturday
On Saturday, the boy’s parents were supposed to meet, so that the child could return to his mother, but Andressian and the boy didn’t show up at the appointed place and time. The mother phoned San Marino police at 9 a.m. Saturday to report her son missing and gave details of Andressian’s vehicle.
Hours before this, the city’s fire department received a call to say a man had been found unconscious, close to a car in Arroyo Park. The man was taken to a hospital nearby and was later identified as being Andressian. The car that was close to him in the park turned out to belong to him and was impounded by police.
Arrested for child abduction and endangerment
According to police, hours later Andressian was arrested on suspicion of child abduction and child endangerment. Police have been questioning him about the location of the five-year-old boy, but with no success.
South Pasadena Police Chief Art Miller said in a press conference on Saturday that police are not sure if the boy got out of the car by himself and walked away, or if he was abducted.
Multiple agencies reportedly launched a search for the boy on Saturday with the help of LAPD bloodhounds. Due to the fact the father was found in Arroyo Park, they concentrated their search efforts there, scouring the park around four times. They also used infrared technology on helicopters in an attempt to find the child.
SCV Search & Rescue Team assisted South Pasadena PD during the night in the search for a missing 5-year-old boy. pic.twitter.com/7qhrKA2SJI
— SCV Sheriff (@SCVSHERIFF) April 23, 2017
ABC7 reports that when police found the father, there was no sign of a struggle and they are still unaware of why he was unconscious.
Andressian was released from the hospital at some time during Saturday evening.
Father has a 'selective memory' when asked about five-year-old's whereabouts
Andressian was then interviewed for several hours before police arrested him. According to Miller, the father had a “very selective memory” as to what happened to the boy, saying it was a frustrating interview. Miller said there main concerns lie with the fact that Andressian was unconscious when he was supposed to be caring for the child.
According to Miller police will continue the search for Andressian Jr. for as long as is necessary. He said that he hopes the boy is in safe hands somewhere and that they can then reunite him with his family.
South Pasadena police searching for missing 5-year-old boy | KTTV https://t.co/PUliKPYw7M pic.twitter.com/GH3Jh1AJRQ
— I Have Vanished (@IHaveVanished) April 23, 2017
Aramazd Andressian Jr. is described as having brown hair and brown eyes and weighing 55 pounds. The five-year-old was last seen to be wearing plaid shorts and a turquoise shirt. Anyone who has seen the child, or knows of his whereabouts, should contact the South Pasadena Police Department.