Registered Calif. Sex Offender Dubbed ‘Butt-Sniffing Bandit’ Arrested Again

A man with a troubling history of criminal behaviour was arrested in Glendale, California, after reports emerged of him allegedly engaging in inappropriate conduct towards women in two local shops. Calese Carron Crowder, 39, faces allegations of violating his parole following incidents at both a grocery store and a Marshalls department store on 28 August.

The Glendale Police Department received multiple calls around 3:30 PM regarding a suspicious man who appeared to be inappropriately sniffing women in a grocery store located on Glenoaks Boulevard. Officers soon received a second complaint from the Marshalls store nearby, prompting them to investigate further.

Police acquired surveillance footage from both stores, which reportedly identified Crowder as the individual in question. Officers located Crowder in the vicinity of South Brand Boulevard a short time later and took him into custody. Onlookers at the grocery store recounted disturbed behaviours, claiming to have seen Crowder crouching near female staff members and shoppers, trying to engage in lewd acts.

Store manager Jimmy Koh at the Big Sav Discount Store described Crowder’s previous actions, suggesting that this wasn’t the first time he had been spotted behaving inappropriately. Koh stated that Crowder had frequented the store before, displaying a similar pattern of crouching and attempting to sniff women. Such behaviours have led some within the community to label him the “butt-sniffing bandit”.

Crowder is currently being held in custody without bail as authorities prepare to refer the case to prosecutors for potential criminal charges. His recent arrest follows a concerning history; Crowder is a registered sex offender with previous arrests that date back to 2021 in the Glendale and Burbank areas. This includes an incident in July 2025, when he was accused of loitering in the women’s department of a Nordstrom Rack in Burbank. Although he had left the scene before police arrived, they later found him at a nearby Walmart, where witnesses reported that he had been following a female shopper and behaving inappropriately.

Less than a month later, Crowder faced another arrest, this time at a Walgreens in Burbank, where he was again accused of attempting to sniff a woman. The pattern of his actions underscores a disturbing trend of behaviour that has drawn the attention of law enforcement and the community.

In late 2025, Crowder ran into further troubles when he failed to meet his annual sex-offender registration requirement, leading to additional legal consequences. In December of that year, he received a sentence of 99 days in jail due to parole violations. Just a few months later, he was sentenced to another 105 days in jail for similar infractions, suggesting a continuous cycle of misbehaviour.

Beyond these recent events, Crowder’s criminal history includes multiple convictions for serious offences, such as drug possession, burglary, and robbery. This complex background raises questions about the adequacy of the systems in place for monitoring registered sex offenders and preventing further instances of such troubling behaviour.

While Crowder currently awaits his next court hearing, the community remains on alert. This incident has sparked discussions about public safety and the need for heightened measures to protect individuals from predatory behaviours in retail spaces. As the investigation progresses, local authorities continue to seek justice for the victims affected by Crowder’s alleged actions, aiming to ensure this cycle of behaviour does not persist unchecked.