A woman who tried to snatch two young children in Glendale within a 25-minute period was found Wednesday to have been insane at the time of the kidnap attempts.
Lisa A. Arnold, 54, of Glendale, pleaded both no contest and not guilty by reason of insanity to two felony counts of attempted kidnapping involving two children under 14, according to Paul Eakins of the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
"Judge Stanley Blumenfeld found that the defendant fit the legal definition of insanity at the time of the crimes based on the reports of two doctors," Eakins said.
The attempted abductions occurred less than a mile away from each other on Aug. 10, 2016, according to Glendale police.
Surveillance video showed a mother being approached at Chevy Chase Drive and Adams Street at 5:11 p.m. that day by a woman who grabbed a child out of a stroller and tried to flee. The mother was able to get her 14-month-old daughter back before the suspect fled in a small white or silver compact car, police said.
The second crime occurred at 5:35 p.m. the same day just outside John Marshall Elementary School at 1201 E. Broadway. An 8-year-old child reported to a 911 operator that someone tried to steal his 3-year-old brother, police said. The boys' mother was able to stop the kidnapping, and the suspect fled in a small, four-door silver sedan.
The suspect in both incidents called the children "cute" before attempting to take them, Glendale police Sgt. Robert William said then.
Arnold was arrested two days later by Glendale police.
She is due back in a Pasadena courtroom June 21 for a hearing to determine where she will be placed, according to Eakins.
