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Registered Sex Offender Arrested in Glendale After Reports He Tried to Smell Shoppers

Identified through store surveillance after staff calls, he is being held as investigators prepare evidence for prosecutors.

Overview

  • Glendale police arrested 39-year-old Calese Crowder on Friday after employees at two stores reported a man crouching near shoppers and appearing to try to smell them.
  • Officers reviewed security-camera footage from both businesses, identified Crowder, located him on the 100 block of South Brand Boulevard and booked him on a parole/probation violation with no bail listed.
  • Crowder is a registered sex offender whose alleged sniffing incidents in Glendale and Burbank trace back to 2021 and include a viral 2023 TikTok of an encounter at a Barnes & Noble and a July 2025 Nordstrom Rack incident captured on surveillance.
  • State prison records and police accounts show prior convictions for possession, burglary and robbery and a June 2025 release to parole supervision followed by multiple arrests and short jail terms for parole violations.
  • The investigation is ongoing and will be submitted to prosecutors for possible charges, a development that could renew scrutiny of parole supervision and store safety measures in the area.