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# Soviet hijacker charged with murder of father
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/soviet-hijacker-charged-with-murder-of-father/
- Published: 2002-02-09T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T00:01:30.000Z
- Author: Carolyn Sackariason
- Tags: Crime, Santa Monica, #archive-import

A 46-year-old Santa Monica man accused of killing his father on Tuesday has been identified as the Lithuanian who hijacked a commercial airliner in 1970.

Albert Victor White, also known as Algirdas Brazinskas, was charged Friday with one count of murder in the Feb. 5 death of his father, 77-year-old Pranas Brazinskas, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office said.

In 1970, the father and son hijacked a domestic Soviet jetliner to Turkey, fatally shooting an Aeroflot flight attendant and wounding other crew members. A Turkish court sentenced Brazinskas to eight years in prison and White to two years. But they were released during an uprising in 1974\. Although they were refused political asylum in the United States, they have lived in this country since 1976 without entry visas.

White is scheduled to be arraigned in Santa Monica Superior Court Department S at 8:30 a.m. Monday. He is being held in the Santa Monica Jail on a $1 million bail and faces 26 years to life in prison if convicted.

Brazinskas and White apparently were involved in a struggle, during which Brazinskas suffered several blows to the head with an unknown object, Santa Monica Police said.

White called 9-1-1 shortly before 8 p.m. Tuesday, then hung up the phone. Once police arrived at the 900 block of 21st Street, between California and Washington Avenues, White met officers at the door and led them to his father’s body.

Brazinskas’ cause of death will be determined by an autopsy from the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 9, 2002.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/020902.pdf?ref=smdp.com)