A 5-year-old boy who was killed by his father in 2017 was honored with a memorial bench at Garfield Park in South Pasadena Monday morning.
The bench remembering Aramazd “Piqui” Andressian Jr. was set up on a path to the park’s Children’s Memorial and Healing Garden, which is located in the north section near Grevelia Street and Stratford Avenue.
South Pasadena Beautiful, which is described on its website as a non-profit organization pursuing sustainability and beautification projects, started an online campaign to help raise funds for the bench.
Andressian Jr. made national headlines when he disappeared in April. His body was discovered 2 months later in the Lake Cachuma area in Santa Barbara County.
Andressian Jr.’s father, who became the primary suspect in the disappearance when he failed to show up for a custody exchange in April and was found passed out in Arroyo Park, was arrested and charged with murder.
Aramazd Andressian Sr. was sentenced to 25 years to life in August after being convicted in the murder of his son.
Officials said he smothered his son with a sweater because he was upset the boy’s mother Ana Estevez was going to divorce him.
Estevez attended the bench dedication Monday morning and talked about her work on House Concurrent Resolution 72, which she said is designed to help protect children whose parents are involved in custody disputes and divorces.
“The best way to remember my son is to celebrate his life and to help protect children,” Estevez said.
The black bench in honor of Piqui was placed along a concrete path with an embedded marker reading,
“In loving memory of Piqui
You are my sunshine my only sunshine …”
The Children’s Memorial and Healing Garden section of Garfield Park was set up as a place to honor children of all ages who have died, and as a place where the community can go to grieve, remember and reflect, the City of South Pasadena stated on its website.