header image

[Sign Up Now] to Receive Our FREE Daily SCVTV-SCVNews Digest by E-Mail

Inside
Weather


 
Calendar
Today in
S.C.V. History
December 9
1983 - U.S. release of John Carpenter's "Christine;" blew up fake gas station in Valencia [watch scene (R)]
Christine gas station explosion in Valencia


A smiling deputy eager to lend a helping hand.

A friend who enjoyed motorcycles and dropped in to the local smoke shop for a good cigar, chatting up reporters in the newspaper office next door.

A giving public servant. A dependable partner.

A son. A brother. A fiancé.

When he rolled up to a barricaded suspect scene on that fateful day – Aug. 31, 2001 – Deputy Hagop “Jake” Kuredjian knew only one thing – that his fellow deputies needed help and he was there to see what he could do.

Responding to the Brooks Circle address in Stevenson Ranch where federal and local officials were met by firepower when they tried to serve a search warrant, he tried to take shelter behind a parked car, but one shot from a second story window hit him in the head and he fell, just yards from the other officers.

They couldn’t get to him in time.

Our community lost Jake that morning.

Four thousand people attended his funeral at St. Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church; uniforms lined the path to his final resting place at Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills. There is a street named after him in Newhall and a park in Stevenson Ranch. Seventeen rose bushes – one for every year of his service to the Sheriff’s Department – were planted in a memorial garden that honors him and another officer killed in the line of duty, Deputy Arthur Pelino.

His killer, James Allen Beck, who was wanted on suspicion of stockpiling weapons and impersonating a U.S. marshal, died when tear gas canisters ignited, creating a firestorm and destroying the house in the normally quiet neighborhood.

The lot was eventually cleared and a new house built on the site.

There are other 10-year commemorations on the minds of many local residents, who will soon observe the first decade since the 9/11 terrorist attacks on America. But to the law enforcement community, this anniversary also has special meaning.

On Wednesday morning, at 10 a.m., there will be a gathering to honor Jake Kuredjian at the corner of Poe Parkway and Stevenson Ranch Parkway, where a monument that bears his beaming likeness was placed by a grateful community.

The public is invited to participate; some traffic lanes near the corner of Poe and Stevenson Ranch will be closed to accommodate the crowd. Organizers picked the midmorning time so as not to interfere with school traffic and have plans to be out of the area before the school lunch rush.

His mother, Anahid, and brother Garo will be there, and Sheriff Lee Baca and Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich will speak.

Baca delivered an emotional tribute that is preserved on the SCV Sheriff’s website and reprinted here.

“On Friday, August 31, 2001, the sunshine seemed to dim, laughter faded away and there was a little less joy in the world because Deputy Hagop ‘Jake’ Kuredjian was taken from us. A deranged man wielding a rifle took his life, in a brief moment of time, leaving his family and an army of friends to mourn his loss.

“In the short time since his tragic death at 40 years old, I have been overwhelmed by the stories of how much life Jake packed into the relatively short time he was with us. If friends were counted as income, Jake was one of the richest men in the world! While we can’t help but grieve his passing, I am determined to remember that million dollar smile and the fact he would give the shirt off his back to help a family member, friend or stranger.

“Let us remember Jake enjoying a good prank, telling a joke or riding down the road on his Harley. Please never forget that Jake willingly put his life at risk to come to the aid of residents and law enforcement personnel who were in peril. Most of all, if you have not already done so, thank God for sharing Jake with us, even if just for a little while.”

The speakers will talk about Kuredjian’s sacrifice and his dedication and service to the community he had grown to embrace. Those in attendance will have their own memories of Jake.

“Jake and I were very close,” said Lt. Robert Lewis, who is organizing the event. “We worked together in Malibu and we were good friends.”

During his time at the Malibu station, Kuredjian received the Gold Meritorious Conduct Award for rescuing a woman who was stranded on a cliff.

“As a law enforcement officer, Jake gave great service to the community and his fellow officers,” Lewis said. “There was never one day when he wasn’t willing to step up and help citizens or fellow deputies; if someone locked their keys in the car or a deputy needed help finishing reports, he’d always say ‘no problem’ and stay to help.”

“He had a great heart,” he continued. “He loved the community and the department.”

Some procedures have changed since Jake’s death, after department officials dissected the crime scene and the actions of the persons involved. Interagency relations have improved and officers employ more cautious tactics in responding to hazardous situations.

Maybe Jake is still looking out for his fellow deputies.

Comment On This Story
COMMENT POLICY: We welcome comments from individuals and businesses. All comments are moderated. Comments are subject to rejection if they are vulgar, combative, or in poor taste.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.

0 Comments

You can be the first one to leave a comment.

Leave a Comment


SCV NewsBreak
LOCAL NEWS HEADLINES
Friday, Dec 8, 2023
Dec. 12: City Council Meets for Annual Council Reorganization
The Santa Clarita city council will hold its regular meeting Tuesday, Dec. 12. The council will first meet in special meeting at 5 p.m. for the annual city council reorganization where a new mayor will take up the gavel and a new mayor pro tem will be elected.
Friday, Dec 8, 2023
National Weather Service Issues Red Flag Warning for L.A. County
The National Weather Service has issued the potential for Red Flag fire weather conditions for Los Angeles County Saturday, Dec. 9, to Sunday, Dec. 10.
Friday, Dec 8, 2023
Weekly COVID-19 Roundup: New Data Dashboards Monitor Transmission
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed Thursday 217 new laboratory confirmed cases and two additional deaths from COVID-19 in the Santa Clarita Valley within the last week.
Keep Up With Our Facebook

Latest Additions to SCVNews.com
1983 - U.S. release of John Carpenter's "Christine;" blew up fake gas station in Valencia [watch scene (R)]
Christine gas station explosion in Valencia
The annual organizational meeting and regular board meeting of the Saugus Union School District Governing Board will be held Tuesday, Dec. 12, beginning with a closed session at 5:30 p.m. followed by the open public session at 6:30 p.m.
Dec. 12: Saugus School Board to Elect New Officers
In what has become a Newhall Christmas tradition, Faith Community Church looks forward to welcoming hundreds of neighbors to the church campus for this year’s “Festividad for Christ” event.
Dec. 16: 18th Annual ‘Festividad for Christ’ Neighborhood Christmas
The regular and organizational meetings of the William S. Hart Union High School District’s Governing Board will be held Wednesday, Dec. 13, beginning at 7 p.m.
Dec. 13: Hart Board to Elect New Officers
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has added a new tool to help keep you and your family safe during the current flu, COVID-19 and RSV respiratory illness season.
Public Health Adds New Resp-Watch Survillance Report
The time for holiday cheer is here! Enjoy all the free festivities at your local Los Angeles County park this season, complete with toys, music, games, crafts, caroling and snow at select locations.
Dec. 16: Holiday in the Park, Castaic Sports Complex, Rioux Park
The Valencia Town Center mall will be spreading Christmas cheer for all to hear this season. Enjoy the sounds of season with strolling carolers throughout December.
Carolers at Valencia Town Center Bring Holiday Cheer
The Agua Dulce Women's Club held the 29th Annual Parade of Tables on Saturday, Dec. 2. Procceds from the fundrasing event will benefit local schools, scholarships and philanthropic activities, as well as the Agua Dulce Women’s Club and it’s programs.
Agua Dulce Women’s Club Parade of Tables
The Santa Clarita city council will hold its regular meeting Tuesday, Dec. 12. The council will first meet in special meeting at 5 p.m. for the annual city council reorganization where a new mayor will take up the gavel and a new mayor pro tem will be elected.
Dec. 12: City Council Meets for Annual Council Reorganization
The Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency welcomed the news that the California Department of Water Resources has taken a major step forward to make the state's water system more resilient to climate change and natural disasters while protecting and enhancing the environment in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
SCV Water Expresses Support for Delta Conveyance Project
The National Weather Service has issued the potential for Red Flag fire weather conditions for Los Angeles County Saturday, Dec. 9, to Sunday, Dec. 10.
National Weather Service Issues Red Flag Warning for L.A. County
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed Thursday 217 new laboratory confirmed cases and two additional deaths from COVID-19 in the Santa Clarita Valley within the last week.
Weekly COVID-19 Roundup: New Data Dashboards Monitor Transmission
Ken & Joe’s "Season of Giving Winter Charity Event" will be held Saturday, Dec. 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the dealership's location at 21618 Golden Triangle Road, Santa Clarita, CA 91350.
Dec. 16: Ken & Joe’s Season of Giving Winter Charity Event
Do you have a love for history and hockey? If you do, head over to The Cube—Ice and Entertainment Center, Powered by FivePoint Valencia for the “United by Hockey” Mobile Museum on Wednesday, Dec. 13, from 3 – 9 p.m.
NHL’s ‘United By Hockey’ Mobile Museum Visits Santa Clarita
The Ridge Route Preservation Organization was cleared by the Angeles National Forest to repair potholes along the north section of the Old Ridge Route from the 138 to the Tumble Inn.
Ridge Route Preservation Organization Begins Pothole Project
As Los Angeles county residents start preparing for holiday festivities L.A.County Public Health urges everyone to consider getting the newly updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect against severe illness this winter virus season. It is recommended for everyone 6 months and older.
Public Health Recommends Newly Updated COVID Vaccine
The South Coast Air Quality Management District recently issued two Notices of Violations to Chiquita Canyon Landfill. One Notices of Violation was issued for the landfill’s failure to maintain the leachate collection and storage system in good operating condition, failure to report the breakdown of equipment and other permit condition violations. The other Notices of Violation was issued for failure to submit a landfill excavation plan.
AQMD Issues More Notices of Violation to Chiquita Canyon Landfill
The Federal Railroad Administration announced a $500,000 grant award from the Corridor Identification and Development Program to the High Desert Corridor Joint Powers Agency.
High Desert Corridor Project Awarded $500K Grant
1941 - Julius Dietzmann family of Castaic arrested as German enemy aliens [story]
Julius Dietzmann
Each year the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation, in collaboration with economist Dr. Mark Schniepp, releases the Economic Outlook Book.
SCVEDC’s 2023 Economic Outlook Book Now Available
The Master's University will host its acclaimed Winter 5K run on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024, starting at 9 a.m.
Start 2024 at TMU’s Winter 5K
The Santa Clarita Arts Commission will hold its regular meeting Thursday, Dec. 14, at 6 p.m., in Council Chambers at City Hall.
Dec. 14: Santa Clarita Arts Commission Regular Meeting
The Castaic Union School District Governing Board will hold its regular/organizational meeting Monday, Dec. 11, at 6 p.m.
Dec. 11: CUSD Regular/Organizational Board Meeting
A Southern California Edison Electric System Upgrade on Lyons Avenue will begin on Monday, Dec. 11.
City Announces Lyons Avenue Lane Closures
SCVNews.com
%d