Crime & Safety
Man Attempted to Rape South Pasadena Teen During Crime Spree, Prosecutors Allege
Prosecutors charged a 22-year-old man with several burglaries and intent to commit rape in crime spree that triggered school lockdowns.
South Pasadena, CA - A 22-year-old man was charged today with a series of felonies and a misdemeanor for allegedly carrying out a one-day crime spree in South Pasadena that forced lockdowns at a pair of schools and led to a nearly seven-hour manhunt.
Michael David Brownlee, of Los Angeles, faces up to 27 years in prison if convicted of charges stemming from the Wednesday spree, during which he allegedly committed a series of burglaries and grabbed a 16-year-old girl near South Pasadena High School.
Brownlee pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree burglary with a person present and one count each of first-degree residential burglary, assault with intent to commit rape and driving or taking a vehicle without consent. He was also charged with a misdemeanor count of indecent exposure, according to the District Attorney's Office.
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Brownlee was arrested about 2:15 p.m. Wednesday while driving an allegedly stolen vehicle near Soto Avenue and Olympic Boulevard in Boyle Heights.
Police said the crime spree began about 7:40 a.m. that day, when officers responded to South Pasadena High School for a sexual battery investigation. Prosecutors said he grabbed a 16-year-old girl near the school, but she managed to escape and run away.
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A short time later, police responded to a report of a man exposing himself near Fair Oaks Avenue and Rollin Street. Prosecutors said Brownlee exposed himself to a mother and her son. South Pasadena High School and nearby South Pasadena Middle School were both locked down while police searched for the suspect.
During the search, police responded to reports of residential burglaries in the 1200 block of Lyndon Street and other residences in roughly the 1500 blocks of Fair Oaks Avenue and Rollin Street.
Brownlee -- jailed since his arrest -- is due back in an Alhambra courtroom July 19, when a date is scheduled to be set for a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence for him to stand trial.
City News Service