1970 Hijacker Convicted of Murdering Father

A 46-year-old Santa Monica man has been convicted of murdering his father, with whom he hijacked a Soviet jetliner 32 years ago.

Albert Victor White, formerly known as Algirdas Brazinskas, was found guilty in the Jan. 5 bludgeoning death of 77-year-old Pranas Brazinskas. He will be sentenced Dec. 6 and faces 16 years to life in prison.

In 1970, father and son hijacked an Aeroflot plane over the Soviet Union and flew it to Turkey. The father said he was trying to escape the Soviet Union because he faced death as a member of a Lithuanian resistance group. In a gun battle with guards on board, a flight attendant was killed. After spending some time in prison in Turkey, the two made their way to the United States. They had lived in Santa Monica since 1980.