LOS ANGELES, July 4 (Xinhua)-- A miserable murder stirring millions of residents of Los Angeles in west U.S. for the last two months looks mystical again before the Independence Day as the father who was accused of killing his son in the case pleaded not guilty.
Aramazd Andressian Sr., a 35-year-old father, who is accused of murdering his 5-year-old son, Aramazd Andressian Jr., pleaded not guilty Monday. He could face up to 25 years to life prison if convicted, and held a bail of 10 million U.S. dollars.
Andressian Sr. was arrested on June 23 and extradited to Southern California last Friday. Hours after his landing on LA's airport, policemen found Andressian Jr.'s body which had been searched for more than two months. However, the investigators refused to disclose if it was Andressian Sr. who told them where the body was.
This mystery started from April 23, when Ana Estevez, Andressian Jr's mother reported her son's missing. Estevez, who was going through a divorce with Andressian Sr. at the time, told police that she gave the custody of Andressian Jr. to his father on April 15 and appointed to take the custody back on April 22, when the couple was scheduled to meet in San Marino, an outskirt city of LA.
However, both Andressian Jr. and his father did not appear at the place on time. He was last seen with his father in the morning of April 21 in Disneyland Theme Park, 60 kilometers southeast to LA downtown.
According to the information from surveillance video and the witness, Andressian Sr. showed up at Lake Cachuma in Santa Barbara County on April 21, but Andressian Jr. was not with him. Lake Cachuma, where the body of the boy was finally found, locates 220 kilometers northwest to the LA downtown.
Moreover, Andressian Sr. was found unconscious by people passed by in Arroyo Park in South Pasadena, a spot closing to the place he appointed to meet his wife on April 22 and called police.
Andressian Sr. told the detectives that he was injected some medication which did not belong to him, and he did not remember how he got to the park. According to local KTLA5, he stated that he took his son to the Lake Cachuma after they left Disneyland, and he was attacked.
Andressian Sr. was arrested on the same day that the police got the notice of Andressian Jr.'s missing, but was later released for lack of evidence.
Over 200 law enforcement officers worked on this case and searched for Andressian Jr. since April 23. Both Arroyo Park and Lake Cachuma area were checked twice by the police and detectives. The last blanket search was on June 10, but nothing was found.
Two months after Andressian Jr.'s missing, the police and detectives locked the target on his father again, and arrested him in Las Vegas on June 23.
The investigators disclosed that as a father whose son was missing, one should do something to look for him, but Andressian Sr. was socializing in Las Vegas, and it seems nothing happened. He also attempted to flee with a flight but was stopped by the District of Attorney.
Andressian Jr.'s body was finally found at the area of Lake Cachuma, but so far the investigators did not disclose any details.
Sean Estevez, the uncle of Andressian Jr., told CBS news that his nephew never wanted to go with his father and cried all the time, he wanted the justice for his nephew. "This little boy paid the ultimate price with his life for no reason."
Andressian Sr. is being held a bail, and scheduled a preliminary hearing for Aug. 16.
