BURBANK, Calif. — A registered sex offender with a history of similar offenses was arrested July 22 after surveillance cameras caught him reportedly sniffing a woman’s backside at a department store inside the Empire Center shopping center.
Police identified the suspect as Calese Carron Crowder, 38, of Glendale. He remains behind bars with bail set at $100,000 and faces a fresh charge of loitering with intent to commit a crime, the Burbank Police Department said.
Officers were first dispatched to Nordstrom Rack following reports of a suspicious person loitering in the women’s department, police said. By the time they arrived, Crowder had left the store, but officers soon tracked him to the nearby Walmart, where store security footage showed him following a female customer through the women’s section and crouching behind her before allegedly engaging in lewd behavior by sniffing her buttocks. Officers confronted Crowder and immediately detained him on scene.
Crowder’s criminal record spans several years and includes arrests for indecent exposure, prowling, burglary and robbery in Burbank and nearby Glendale since 2021.
Crowder’s latest arrest has sparked renewed concern among Burbank residents and shoppers at the busy Empire Center, a retail hub that attracts thousands of visitors daily from across the San Fernando Valley. Several shoppers expressed unease about the incident occurring in such a public, family-friendly location, noting that the shopping center is frequented by parents with children.
Law enforcement officials emphasized that parole monitoring requirements are designed to help prevent repeat offenses, but incidents like this raise questions about the effectiveness of current supervision measures for high-risk offenders in densely populated urban areas.
According to law enforcement, he is currently on active parole for prior convictions and has been jailed for similar incidents that attracted widespread attention, including a viral TikTok video in Aug. 2023 showing him crouching behind a woman at a Barnes & Noble bookstore and sniffing her. That case prompted other women, including the wife of former L.A. Lakers player Robert Horry, to come forward with allegations.
In a statement, the Burbank City Attorney’s Office confirmed one count of loitering with intent to commit a crime has been filed. Crowder’s next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 1, police said.
Investigators believe additional victims may exist and continue to seek information related to Crowder’s behavior.
This article was written by BlackNews.com
