(L.A.) Arek Tomassian, 43, Suddenly Died, Leaving Infant and Toddler Unattended
Case Number: 2015-06923
Los Angeles County is reporting the death of a 43-year-old Caucasian female that occurred at her residence.
The coroner’s office has identified the woman as Arek Tomassian, originally from Australia.
Manner of Death: Undetermined
Cause of Death: Undetermined after Autopsy and Toxicology Studies
RIP AREK TOMASSIAN (March 12, 1972 – October 5, 2015)
The decedent’s name is Armenian. She was also known professionally and to friends as Erika Tomassian.
The date of death is listed as October 5 (Monday) because that is the day the corpse was found.
Firefighters and police rescued a two-year-old boy who was found inside an apartment in Hollywood after his mother collapsed and died.
Police also found the body of a one-year-old boy in the apartment who is believed to have suffocated after choking on food. Both of the children are brothers and are the recently adopted sons of the female victim. The mother was identified as Arek Tomassian, 43.
Tomassian’s death appears to be from natural causes, and the infant’s death is believed to be accidental. Foul play is not suspected.
A friend of the woman had been unable to reach her and, shortly before 3 p.m. on Monday, went to the apartment building in the 1600 block of North Fuller Avenue. The friend heard the two-year-old boy screaming inside the apartment and called police.
Firefighters used a ladder to enter through a window of the second-floor apartment. The boy was taken to a hospital and treated for dehydration. He was later placed in the custody of the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services.
Tomassian had been suffering from breathing difficulties and had seen a doctor approximately five days prior to her death. She is believed to have been dead for at least two days.
The deceased infant’s exact cause of death is also pending. There was evidence at the scene that the two-year-old had opened cabinets in search for food.
* The medical examiner later said that Michael Norton III, an infant 13 months old, died from dehydration as a consequence of maternal death.
A neighbor says the older brother’s name is Nathan.