Baby-Sitter Accused of Child Endangerment
A 19-year-old man who disappeared last week with two Glendale brothers he was baby-sitting pleaded not guilty Monday to two counts of child endangerment and one count of auto theft.
Darren Kim was arraigned before Glendale Municipal Court Judge Barbara Lee Burke and ordered to return for a March 23 preliminary hearing. Burke reduced Kim’s bail from $100,000 to $6,000.
Kim was baby-sitting John M. Ko, 2, and Calvin Y. Ko, 4, on March 6. When their parents returned, Kim, the boys and the family’s van were gone. Kim had been living with the Ko family for about three weeks, police said.
Glendale police arrested Kim Thursday morning when the van was spotted in a Glendale grocery store parking lot. The boys were unharmed.
Deputy Dist. Atty. Michael Pargament said kidnaping charges were not filed because Kim apparently did not use force or fear, did not demand a ransom and did not injure the children.
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