A 22-year-old man arrested in a series of assaults at Burbank High School has been formally charged, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced Thursday.
Patrick Nazarian of Glendale, who is accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and attacking two other girls at the school on Monday, faces charges of felony sexual battery by restraint and child molesting and battery, the District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
Nazarian, a former student at the school, is believed to have entered through a parking lot and an unlocked door, then followed the 14-year-old girl into the restroom, where the alleged assault took place.
Nazarian also allegedly groped another 14-year-old girl near a stairwell and “pulled on” a 17-year-old girl who resisted, then told a teacher. School employees captured Nazarian and held him until officers arrived, police said.
“Schools are meant to be a sanctuary for our children where they can learn and feel safe in their environment,” Gascón said in a statement. “That sense of safety was shattered when these girls were attacked on campus. While I know that the trauma they suffered won’t soon heal, I’m thankful to the heroic actions of the school employees who apprehended the suspect and held him for law enforcement.”
Nazarian pleaded not guilty and is expected to return for a preliminary hearing on March 29 in the Pasadena Branch of the Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Jail records show his bail has been set at $45,000.