Update: Judge increases dad’s bail after details emerge about missing California boy

Police are still searching for a little boy who disappeared in South Pasadena, California. His father was found on Saturday, passed out in a park. A judge increased the father’s bail amount on Monday morning, after additional details emerged in the case, but so far, it’s unclear exactly what those details are.

Aramazd Andressian Jr., 5, talked to his mother from an unknown location on Tuesday, via Skype. She shares custody of her son with his father, Aramazd Andressian Sr., 35, who had the boy for visitation. On Thursday, the little boy didn’t make the Skype call with his mom as required, and on Saturday, Andressian Sr., failed to bring the child back to his mother. Earlier that morning, police found Andressian Sr. passed out in Arroyo Park, and made the connection that he was the father of the missing boy.

Posted by Rick Montanez on Saturday, April 22, 2017

 

According to South Pasadena police, Andressian Sr. said he didn’t know how little Aramazd disappeared or where he could be. Authorities questioned him for hours on end, but indicated that Andressian Sr. had “selective memory,” and that his answers were “convoluted and not consistent.”  He’s now being held behind bars on suspicion of child endangerment and child abduction. Originally, a judge set Andressian Sr.’s bail at $10,000, but because of additional information uncovered by detectives, it was increased to $10 million.

Aramazd Andressian [Photo: South Pasadena PD]
Aramazd currently spends a week with his father and a week with his mother as part of the custody arrangement. The pair are separated and going through a divorce and a custody battle. Andressian Sr. is required to allow the boy to make Skype calls to his mother on Tuesdays and Thursday while he has the child in his care. The mom, whose name is unknown at this time, told police that she spoke to her son on Tuesday, but she became worried when she didn’t hear from him on Thursday. When he wasn’t returned on Saturday, she contacted the police.

“When we found out the boy was missing we don’t know if he crawled out of the car himself, if he walked away, if he was abducted – we have no idea,” South Pasadena Police Chief Art Miller said during a press conference on Saturday.

Investigators said that Andressian Sr.’s BMW was spotted in Orange County on Friday, around an hour away from South Pasadena.

As of late Sunday evening, police were still pursuing leads and looking for the boy.

It’s still unclear why Andressian Sr. was passed out at the park, but he was taken to the hospital and treated prior to his arrest. Authorities said that Andressian Sr. didn’t appear to be a crime victim.

Detectives indicated that the search would “take as long as necessary.” Anyone with any information should call 911 or the South Pasadena Police Department at 626-403-7270. The Los Angeles Police Department is assisting in the search.

[Feature Photo: Family Handout]