Homicide specialist cracks the most complex cases

Jackson Bell

Robert Breckenridge knew at an early age that he wanted to get into

law enforcement; he just didn’t think it would be in his hometown.

Growing up in Glendale, Breckenridge imagined himself working for

the FBI or U.S. Secret Service. But after taking a ride-along with a

Glendale police officer while studying at San Diego State, he

realized he had found his niche.

“It was a feeling I got during the ride-along,” the 42-year-old

said. “I felt natural being in the black and white, and I came out on

cloud nine. I knew I wanted to come back to Glendale.”

Breckenridge, an 18-year veteran of the Glendale Police

Department, is assigned to the robbery/homicide detail and handles

some of the force’s most complex cases.

He was named 2004 Officer of the Year last week during an awards

ceremony at the Glendale Hilton. His immediate supervisor, Sgt. Ian

Grimes, nominated him.

“He’s a workhorse who never turns a case down,” Grimes said. “He

got some of the most difficult cases and was able to solve them.”

In April 2004, Breckenridge traveled to Armenia and talked Gaik

Shakhmuradyan, wanted on suspicion of fatally shooting his nephew,

into returning to the United States to face murder charges.

Shakhmuradyan’s trial is still pending.

During that investigation, Breckenridge said he put in between 60

to 80 hours a week for four months.

One of Breckenridge’s partners, Investigator Craig Tweedy, said

Breckenridge is known for his intensity.

“He’s tremendously committed to his work,” Tweedy said. “He’ll

work 22 or 23 hours straight, sleep in his car, shower and go right

back to work.”

In 2003, Breckenridge also investigated one of the largest

murder-for-hire cases ever uncovered by Glendale police.

A crime syndicate was operating credit card scams, medical fraud

and drug trafficking out of a pickle factory on San Fernando Road.

They were also involved in shootings and other violent crimes.

Breckenridge’s police work sent six men to jail.

His highest-profile ongoing case is the investigation of the Jan.

26 Metrolink train derailment near Chevy Chase Drive. Juan Manuel

Alvarez, a 25-year-old Compton man, is accused of causing the crash

that killed 11 people and injured nearly 200 others.

A judge Thursday ordered Alvarez to stand trial on charges of

arson and 11 counts of murder.

After the derailment, Breckenridge said he worked six days a week

leading up to last week’s preliminary hearing while juggling his

other cases.

But the long hours are worth it, he said.

“I like taking on the big cases, going after the crooks and

putting them away for a long time,” Breckenridge said. “It’s all

about making the community safer and compiling the best possible case

for the D.A. to prosecute the person or persons.”

When he’s not working long hours for the Police Department, he’s

busy coaching his children’s football and basketball teams.

Breckenridge is married with two sons and a daughter.

He joined the force in May 1987 and worked as a patrol officer for

five years.

He was promoted to the special-enforcement detail, on which he

worked for four years before serving as a detective in the vice

narcotics detail for 4 1/2 years. In 2002, he moved to his current

position with robbery/homicide.

After 18 years on the job, Breckenridge said what keeps him

interested is what tomorrow might bring.

“The one thing I always say about Glendale is that it gets very

unique cases,” he said. “What makes this job so great is that no two

cases are the same. And it seems like our cases have some weird twist

to them.”