GLENDALE — A young Alhambra man has pleaded not guilty to allegations of molesting 8-year-old and 3-year-old Glendale brothers he babysat over the course of eight months, authorities said.
Jordan Liu, 19, appeared in Glendale Superior Court Monday to answer to eight charges of child molestation, court officials said.
The allegations came forward as the children’s mother was discussing the ongoing child molestation investigation at Pennsylvania State University, police said.
He was arrested Nov. 22 after the older boy told his mother 11 days earlier that he’s been sexually assaulted by Liu, who the family had hired as a babysitter through the Website “Sittercity.com,” Glendale police officials said in a written statement. “The suspect provided babysitting services and took the child on outings at least once a month for the past eight months.”
The boys’ mother did not suspect any inappropriateness involving Liu when she began discussing a news story about the ongoing child molestation investigation at Pennsylvania State University as a form of educating her 8-year-old son and raising his awareness, according to the police statement.
“The mother soon learned that her 8-year-old son had been victimized by the babysitter,” the statement said.
After launching an extensive investigation, detectives found evidence of sexual abuse of both the 8-year-old boy and his 3-year-old brother.
Sittercity.com has been cooperating with detectives, officials added. In addition to Sittercity.com, Liu also advertised his services on another similar Website, “Care.com,” according to Glendale police.
Sittercity.com’s Website features the slogan, “We focus on safety, so you can focus on finding the right fit.”
“Sittercity was deeply saddened to learn of this situation,” Sittercity spokeswoman Mary Schwartz said in a written statement. “As soon as it was brought to our attention, we terminated Mr. Liu’s account and notified anyone who may have had contact with him about the termination.”
“Sittercity takes safety very seriously,” Schwartz said. “Each caregiver who registers on Sittercity is pre-screened to verify his (or) her identity and the caregiver’s information is checked against state sex offender registries. “In addition, we allow members to run background checks on the site through LexisNexis. Background checks include identification verification and a national criminal search of local, state and federal criminal records.”
Before advertising with Sittercity.com, sitters must acknowledge a pledge to “put safety first,” and “be professional and uphold my commitments,” according to the Website.
Because of the ongoing investigating, Schwartz said, Sittercity.com deferred all further comments to police investigators.
While police were unaware of any additional victims tied to Liu, “the investigation indicates he may have conversed with over 100 parents through the web service, but it is unknown how many actually may have hired him as a babysitter,” the police statement said.
After pleading not guilty Monday, Liu was ordered held in lieu of $2.7 million bail, police said.
He’s due in Burbank Superior Court Jan. 5, when a date for his preliminary hearing will be selected, court officials said.
Liu faces the possibility of life in prison if convicted as charged.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Glendale police at 818-548-3106.

GLENDALE — Sheriff’s deputies assigned to the Crescenta Valley and Altadena sheriff’s stations arrested two men Wednesday after allegedly finding 10 pounds of methamphetamine during a traffic stop in Glendale, authorities said.
Noe Virgen and Jose Pelayo — both 24-year-old Van Nuys residents, were booked on suspicion of possession and transportation of narcotics for sales, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Larry Landreth said.
The arresting deputies were members of the sheriff’s Community Oriented Policing, or COPS, bureau, Landreth said.
They spotted the car about 12:45 p.m. and pulled it over on the 5 Freeway near Colorado Street for having tinted windows, he said.
Deputies searched the car with the consent of Virgen and Pelayo and found the methamphetamine inside a backpacks, the lieutenant
Landreth said the ten pounds of methamphetamine seized had an estimated value of more than $140,000, and likely more.
“It’s a good find,” Landreth said. “It’s good to get that much (methamphetamine) off the street.”
The investigation will be continued by sheriff’s narcotics detectives, he added.

This time in Glendale, where again an officer attempting an arrest was shot. The suspect in this case was also shot and died at the scene. The AP provided this photo of the investigation.

Here’s a brief synopsis of the gunbattle:

GLENDALE – An officer was shot and a man was killed following a series of gun battles between the man and several officers Monday evening, police said.

The wounded officer was struck in the chest but was wearing a bullet-proof vest and is expected to survive, said Sgt. Tom Lorenz, with the Glendale Police Department.

The shooting occurred around 9:30 p.m. near Colorado Boulevard and Adams Street after an officer chased a suspect who then turned and began firing a weapon at the officer, Lorenz said.

The rest of the story is here.

Meanwhile, Monrovia police and Sheriff’s detectives continue to investigate the OIS that occurred there early Sunday morning. Police have identified the Monrovia officer wounded in the incident, but have yet to provide a name for the suspected shooter, who remains in the hospital.

Star-News reporter Melissa Pamer filed an update in the case, which includes this information:

The 50-year-old, 320-pound suspect allegedly shot veteran Monrovia police Sgt. Dan Verna during a gun battle in the southwest corner of the city just after midnight.

The man, whose name is being withheld pending his discharge from a hospital and booking, was shot several times after he fired on Verna, authorities said.

Officials believe he was the same man wanted in connection to recent crimes in Arcadia, Monrovia spokesman Dick Singer said.

“He’s suspected of being responsible for a whole string of burglaries in Arcadia,” Singer said. “If it’s this guy, then he’s been getting very aggressive recently.”

It’s interesting that city spokesman Dick Singer apparently knows more than the police department in regards to this case.