By Mary O’KEEFE

A man suspected of acting inappropriately near a children’s play area has been arrested by Glendale police.

Hazem Alhajeh, 36, was arrested by Glendale police detectives on Aug. 30 and is suspected of being the man who was seen on Aug. 17 at 2:45 p.m. touching his private parts at Pacific Park. Alhajeh appeared in court on Wednesday where he pled not guilty to all counts of the amended complaint.

The suspect was standing outside the fence near the children’s play area touching his private parts over his clothing while talking on his cellphone and scanning the park. A witness recorded the man’s actions and saw him leave in a dark colored 2018 Toyota Camry with black wheels, according to a GPD statement.

At the time, the suspect was described as a male, 30-40 years old with black hair, black beard and a medium build.

The cellphone video recording of the suspect was released to the media and posted on the Glendale Police Dept. social media platforms. As a result, a citizen allegedly recognized the suspect on the news and contacted the Glendale Police Dept.

Further investigation led to the identification of Hazem Alhajeh and an arrest warrant was obtained.

On Aug. 30, Glendale detectives served a search warrant at Alhajeh’s residence in the 1000 block of South Adams in the City of Glendale. Alhajeh was contacted and taken into custody without incident. He was booked for indecent exposure, a violation of 314.1 P.C.

Alhajeh is a registered sex offender as a result of a 2014 indecent exposure case that occurred in the City of Pasadena. In February 2018, Alhajeh was arrested by Pasadena Police Dept. involving a second indecent exposure case. He is currently awaiting trial for this case. His bail was set at $20,000.

For the Glendale indecent exposure charge, to which he has pled not guilty, he is being held on $55,000 bail.

As of press time Alhajeh had posted bail and had not been released. His next court date is set for Oct. 4 in the Pasadena Courthouse.

Anyone with information regarding the Glendale case or similar incidents is encouraged to contact Detective Mercado at (818) 548-3106.

  Mary Okeefe