Suspect Arrested And Charged For Sexual Crimes Against Minors

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 5, 2026

Glendale Police Department Contact: Sgt. Pobokhian
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (818) 937-8888

Suspect Arrested And Charged For Sexual Crimes Against Minors

Suspect Arrested And Charged For Felony Crimes Against Minors

Glendale, CA - On December 19, 2025, Glendale Police Department officers responded to a report involving a student who disclosed sexual abuse by an agency-contracted special education assistant at a Glendale elementary school. The incident involved an 8-year-old special needs student and occurred on school grounds.

Detectives immediately initiated an investigation that revealed evidence corroborating the reported crime.

On December 20, 2025, Glendale Police arrested the suspect, identified as 25-year-old Joseph Vladimir Sanchez of Glendale, on charges related to lewd acts with a child and sexual acts with a child under 14 years of age. Following his arrest, Sanchez posted bail and was scheduled to appear for arraignment on February 4, 2026.

Detectives continued their investigation and successfully identified and located two additional underage victims. The newly developed evidence was presented to the court on February 4, 2026, at Sanchez's arraignment, where he was ordered back into custody. He is currently being held on $6,000,000 bail.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office has filed the following charges against Sanchez: two counts of California Penal Code (PC) 288.7, three counts of PC 288(b), two counts of PC 288(a), and one count of PC 311.11.

At the time of this incident, Sanchez was a contracted special education assistant from Covelo Group and assigned to Columbus Elementary School and Glenoaks Elementary School. He was not an employee of the Glendale Unified School District or City of Glendale.

Glendale Police Department detectives are actively seeking additional victims or witnesses related to these incidents involving Sanchez. The investigation has led detectives to believe there may be additional victims dating back as far as three years. The Glendale Unified School District is cooperating fully and has offered its support in assisting with identifying potential victims and witnesses.

Anyone with information related to this case is encouraged to contact the Glendale Police Department Assaults Bureau at 818-548-4840.

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About the Glendale Police Department

Established in 1906, the Glendale Police Department is a full-service police department with approximately 450 total staff members, including nearly 300 sworn police officers. The Glendale Police Department is committed to providing the highest level of public safety services through proactive policing, professionalism, and community partnerships.

Assignments include Patrol, Traffic, Investigations Bureau, Narcotics, SWAT, Motorcycles, K-9, School Resource Officer, Custody, Dispatch, and Air Support. Police Department responsibilities include 9-1-1 emergency response, proactive law enforcement, traffic enforcement and collision investigation, crime investigation and case preparation, community and school policing, and administration of the city jail facility.

For more information, visit GlendaleCA.gov/Police or follow @GlendalePoliceDept on Instagram and @GlendalePD on Facebook and X.

About Glendale

Known as the "Jewel City," Glendale is the fourth largest city of Los Angeles County. With a population of almost 200,000, Glendale is a thriving cosmopolitan city that is rich in history, culturally diverse, and offers nearly 50 public parks & facilities, with easy access to a municipal airport. It is the home to a vibrant business community, with major companies in healthcare, entertainment, manufacturing, retail, and banking. Visit GlendaleCA.gov for more information and follow us on social media @MyGlendale.