If you saw the image of the little boy before his untimely demise, the sweetness of that image may still haunt you: his chubby cheeks, his innocent gaze, the silver cross hanging around his neck. What could have driven anyone, much less the boy’s father, to murder him following a day trip to Disneyland?
An Unexpected Tragedy
After detectives searched for over a month for the missing boy, Aramazd Andressian Sr., 35, has officially been charged with killing his 5-year-old son, Picqui. Andressian pleaded not guilty and is being held on $10 million bail; his preliminary hearing is scheduled for August 16th.
Picqui’s body was discovered near Lake Cachuma last Friday after leads brought detectives back to the area to search for additional evidence. Police have not revealed how Picqui died, however, they believe the inside of Andressian’s car was doused with gasoline, and there were matches found inside the vehicle.
Picqui was last seen on April 20th when his father took him to Disneyland in Anaheim. Within a week of his disappearance, police arrested Andressian on suspicion but later released him citing “insufficient evidence.”
A Home Divided
Officials report that Andressian and his wife, Ana Estevez, were in the midst of a horribly ugly, “tumultuous” divorce at the time of Picqui’s death. Los Angeles County Sherriff’s Department Homicide Lt., Joe Mendoza, told reporters at a news conference that, “Investigators believe this way a pre-planned event” and that the boy was killed to punish his mother.
Authorities also reported that Andressian’s statements regarding his son’s disappearance were “inconsistent” and “misleading.” Andressian told detectives he thought that his son had been attacked, but he had no memory of the attack because he’d taken prescription medication that morning and had fallen unconscious.
According to Mendoza, during the time Picqui was missing—before the body was found— Andressian was not acting like the father of a missing child. Mendoza reported that Andressian spent the 47 days Picqui was missing going back and forth between California and Las Vegas “socializing.”
The Family Mourns
Ana Estevez shared, “Although most have never met Picqui, it is immensely clear that he has touched your lives in a positive and heartfelt way. My heart is shattered and I will miss my son immensely each and every second of every day for the rest of my life. Picqui was everything great in my life, and I cannot imagine the emptiness and the void that I will bear until we are together again someday. I am eternally grateful for detectives, family, friends, and volunteers who loved my Picqui as much as I do.”