After proclaiming his innocence for months, the father of a 5-year-old boy who was missing for months is expected to plead guilty to murder, multiple sources tell NBC4.
Aramazd Andressian Sr. is expected to enter the guilty plea during a preliminary hearing setting set for Tuesday. It would be a change of plea for the suspect who entered a not guilty plea at an arraignment earlier this month.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office and Andressian's defense attorney would not comment. Officials would only confirm the court appearance for Andressian.
The 35-year-old man is charged with murder in the death of Aramazd Andressian Jr., whose remains were found June 30 near the Lake Cachuma Recreation Area in Santa Barbara County, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
The news of the possible change of plea comes nearly two weeks after the boy's funeral and public memorial.
At the service, the boy whose mother called "Piqui," was remembered for his love of baking, especially chocolate chip cookies. He was remembered as the little boy wise beyond his years, who always lent a helping hand and touched many lives.
Andressian was brought back from Las Vegas to Los Angeles on June 30, the day his son's body was discovered. He had been living in Las Vegas for more than a month, officials said.
Los Angeles County sheriff's investigators have said they think the boy was killed early April 21 after a family trip to Disneyland. Father and son missed a scheduled custody exchange with the boy’s mother the next day.
Investigators contend that the boy's father killed him to get back at his estranged wife. The couple were in a year-long bitter custody and divorce case.
Andressian Sr. was found passed out in a South Pasadena park on April 22. He had taken prescription pills and was found in a car doused in gasoline in an apparent suicide attempt, sheriff's officials said.
Andressian told authorities that he drove that day about 145 miles to Lake Cachuma. The area was searched several times before the boy was discovered.
Authorities haven't disclosed how the boy was killed or what evidence links the boy's father to his death.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
