'Credible' Tip Leads To New Search In South Pasadena For Missing Boy
SOUTH PASADENA (CBSLA.com) — A "credible" tip has prompted authorities to launch another search at Arroyo Park in South Pasadena for evidence in the disappearance of a 5-year-old boy who has been missing since April 22.
With some of the 80 members of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and South Pasadena Police Department on horseback, and others accompanied by search dogs, Arroyo Park, 800 Stoney Dr., and the surrounding area will be scoured for any evidence in the disappearance of Aramazd Andressian, Jr.
Thursday's search focused on the ravine and brush surrounding the park.
The new search comes the day after Ana Estevez, Aramazd's mother, made a tearful plea for help finding her son.
But officials told KCAL 9's Dave Lopez the search was planned three days ago. Today's search covered a two-mile square radius and lasted more than eight hours.
LA County Sheriff's Lt. Joe Mendoza said no new evidence was found in the inch-by-inch search.
Authorities have been searching for the boy since April 22, efforts that have led to Orange County – where the boy was last seen at Disneyland – and Santa Barbara County, where he and his father, Aramazd Andressian, Sr., may have been spotted at Lake Cachuma Recreation Area.
Andressian was arrested April 22 on child endangerment charges after being found unconscious at South Pasadena's Arroyo Seco Park. He could not tell authorities where his son was. He was reportedly passed out under the influence of prescription drugs that were not his own. His car was reportedly soaked with gasoline and matches were found nearby.
He was released from jail on April 25, and his home was searched three days later. Today, Lopez quoted authorities as saying the father was not being cooperative in the investigation.
Andressian and Estevez have been involved in a contentious custody battle.
A reward from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for information that helps authorities locate the child was doubled Tuesday to $20,000.
Young Aramazd is white, 4 feet 1 and 55 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a plaid shirt and plaid shorts and has a small mole on the bottom of his right shoulder.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)
