Woman Jailed in Connection to Boys’ Deaths

A 20-year-old woman who lives across the street from the school where two boys were found beaten to death last week was arrested by Glendale police on suspicion of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, officials said Monday.

Cristina E. Kim of La Crescenta was being held Monday in the Glendale City Jail on $500,000 bond after her arrest Sunday night, police said.

Glendale Police Capt. Jim Swinford declined to discuss the allegations against Kim or whether she was connected to the July 23 slayings. He said his department had imposed a news blackout on information related to the killings at Valley View Elementary School.

“We’re not saying anything,” Swinford said. “We’re not going to release further information on this case because it could compromise our investigation.”

Kim’s attorney, Eric W. Lee, would not discuss the allegations but confirmed that the arrest stemmed from the schoolyard investigation.

“She does tangentially fit into this case, but only tangentially,” Lee said Monday night.

He said Kim was not responsible for the deaths of Blaine Talmo Jr., 14, and Christopher McCulloch, 13, who were found on the blood-spattered school playground.

“My client did not commit murder,” Lee said. “She did not kill those kids.”

Glendale Board of Education member Chuck Sambar also confirmed that police had connected Kim to the boys’ deaths but would not give details.

“All I know is that there was an involvement, but I don’t know exactly how she was involved,” said Sambar, who has been briefed by police because the deaths took place on school property and involved Glendale Unified School District students.

Sambar said he was “flabbergasted” by the continuing twists and turns in the investigation, which has involved 20 detectives and consumed the emotions of many in the La Crescenta community.

“For the life of me, I can’t understand where this case is going,” Sambar said.

Authorities have charged Michael H. Demirdjian, 15, of La Crescenta, with two counts of murder and two counts of robbery. Demirdjian, who also lives near the school, is scheduled to be arraigned as an adult Aug. 9.

Adam Walker, 19, of La Crescenta, also was arrested on suspicion of murder by Glendale police, but they later dropped those allegations. Prosecutors last week charged Walker in an unrelated burglary in Burbank.

Kim’s lawyer would not comment on whether Kim knew Demirdjian or Walker. Kim, whom a friend said was a student at UC Irvine, is scheduled to be arraigned today, a Glendale jail custody officer said.

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Contributing to this story were Glendale News Press reporter Buck Wargo and Times staff writer Andrew Blankstein.