Capt. Justin Diez of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, sheriff’s deputies, local dignitaries and others honored the life and service of Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Jake Kuredjian with the dedication of the Deputy Jake Kuredjian Memorial Highway on Wednesday morning at the SCV station.
The segment of Interstate 5 named in Kuredjian’s memory spans from Lyons Avenue in Newhall to McBean Parkway in Valencia.
Santa Clarita Mayor Bill Miranda said the city has a great deal of respect for first responders who sacrifice so much to make the community safe – and Kuredjian, Miranda said, made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.
“We stand together today to honor the extraordinary valor and sacrifice of Deputy Jake Kuredjian,” Miranda told a roomful of deputies, Kuredjian’s family, loved ones and others. “While we celebrate this legacy, we also extend our deepest condolences to his family. I’m so happy so many of you are here today. Loved ones, and his brothers and sisters in uniform, will continue to feel his loss profoundly.”
Kuredjian, who was 40 years old at the time of his death, served 17 years in the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department. According to the Officer Down Memorial Page, he was shot and killed in the line of duty on Aug. 31, 2001, while backing up U.S. marshals serving a search warrant at a home on Brooks Circle in Stevenson Ranch.
Kuredjian’s brother, Garo Kuredjian, spoke during the dedication, talking about how his brother showed unwavering commitment to justice, adding that he was always ready to serve, always willing to put others before him.
“Today, we’re once again honored and humbled by the presentation of this freeway sign commemorating my brother’s service to this community,” he said. “Jake was a son, a brother, a friend and a protector.”
He added that his brother’s freeway sign will be a lasting reminder of Kuredjian’s bravery, of his selflessness and his extraordinary service that he provided to the community. It is a symbol, he said, that’ll continue to stand as a testament to his life’s work, to the sacrifices made by all who serve in law enforcement.
Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo, D-Chatsworth, who authored the legislation to rename the highway in Kuredjian’s honor, also spoke at the dedication about the fallen deputy.
“This sheriff’s station has really done a great service to the family and to his honor, to keep his memory alive, and I’m grateful for that,” she said. “The freeway sign ensures that Jake and his legacy will forever be associated with the community and, more importantly, with people that he worked to protect.”
Family and elected officials unveiled what Diez called a replica of the sign that will be installed on Interstate 5.
“I think it really symbolizes,” Diez said, “Jake’s legacy for all future generations … So, to Jake, thank you for watching over our Santa Clarita community, our Santa Clarita Station partners and, of course, your family. And as we all leave here today, please say a prayer for Deputy Kuredjian, a prayer for the Kuredjian family, and a prayer for the mighty LASD.”
