Remembrance to be Held in Honor of Slain Deputy Hagop Jake Kuredjian

The Santa Clarita Police Office is organizing a special ceremony to commemorate the life of Deputy Hagop Jake Kuredjian. The event will be held on January 8, 2025 at 10:30 a.m. A plaque will be installed on the 5 Freeway—at the intersection of Poe/Mcbean-Stevenson Ranch Parkway—in his honor.

Kuredjian was a 17-year veteran of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department when he was shot and killed in 2001 by a suspect in Stevenson Ranch while in the line of duty. He, alongside his fellow officers, was engaged in a shootout when he was shot in the head by a single bullet.

Born to an Armenian family in Aleppo, Syria in 1961, Kuredjian often worked as an Armenian interpreter for the Sheriff’s Department, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Prior to his death, Kuredjian received the “Gold Meritorious Conduct Medal” for rescuing a woman who was falling off a cliff in Malibu.

Officials of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station planted 17 rosebushes at the station to mark Kuredjian’s 17 years of service.

A 6-acre park in Stevenson Ranch was named in Kuredjian’s honor, and a street in Newhall, Santa Clarita was named “Deputy Jake Drive.”

A year after his passing, in 2002 the Malibu City Council established an annual award dedicated to Kuredjian’s memory. The award is given to “outstanding individuals who give their time and resources to enhance the quality of recreation programs.” The establishment of the award was spearheaded by the Malibu Parks and Recreation Commission.

Following his passing, three of Kuredjian’s friends, as well as his 11-year-old neighbor, raised $8,000, which they donated to a village in Armenia to fund the opening of a library and student scholarships for youth interested in policing.

Kuredjian is often remembered by the local community and the Santa Clarita Police Office, who organize commemorative events and annual, 24-hour standing guard vigils in his honor.

A plaque commemorating his passing has been placed at the intersection of Pico Canyon Road and Stevenson Ranch Parkway, where the commemorative events are held.

Vigils are attended by community members, law enforcement officials, as well as members of Kuredjian’s family.