Glendale Galleria

It was just like any other day at the Glendale Galleria. Swarms of teens crowded the walkways and benches. Some young couples cuddled, as if unaware that the biggest sale of the season was in progress around them. Burbank resident Liz Martinez, 36, likely walked by a few as she executed her expertly planned  operation, with stops to pick up bargains at the Disney Store, Gymboree and Abercrombie. “I came to buy all the expensive clothes for my daughter I can't afford,” said Martinez, arms full with nine large bags of toys and clothing.  At Glendale's Americana at Brand, Glendale resident Adrian Villanueva, 19, was winding down -- and it was only 5:30 a.m. He had already traveled to Best Buy, Fry's Electronics, Target and Krispy Kreme.

The owner of the Glendale Galleria emerged from bankruptcy protection Tuesday with a new operating plan that officials said would have little immediate impact on local consumers. A spokeswoman for the Galleria's owner, Chicago-based General Growth Properties, said there were no immediate plans for changes at the Glendale mega-mall. General Growth owns or operates more than 200 malls. Under the plan, the company restructured roughly $15 billion of project-level debt, and obtained $6.8 billion in new capital, according to an announcement.

Microsoft on Monday announced plans to open a temporary storefront in the Glendale Galleria for the holiday shopping season -- part of a nationwide push to increase the company's retail presence as it launches the new Windows 8 operating system this October. The only other city in California slated to get a pop-up store so far is San Francisco. In its announcement, Microsoft said the store would officer customers “an engaging way to experience the best of Microsoft's products and services.” In addition to its new operating system, the company is expected to also unveil a number of new devices with Windows Phone 8. Currently, Microsoft has stores in 20 cities with many major markets not among them, including some of the ones getting temporary stores, according to the Los Angeles Times.

A 24-year-old former Target store employee was arrested this past weekend on a warrant for allegedly masturbating outside the Glendale Galleria in front of two women last year. Los Angeles police stopped the man, Hanover Mares, early Saturday in the 100 block of Los Angeles Street and arrested him on the outstanding warrant for indecent exposure, according to Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz. The women, who were employees at American Eagle Outfitters, reported the indecent exposure incident to officers on April 18, 2011, according to Glendale police reports.

A 44-year-old Hollywood man has been banned from the Glendale Galleria for allegedly sexually harassing a group of teenage girls at the mall while dressed in a zebra-print spandex outfit complete with a feather boa and fedora. The man, Scott Basko, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to three misdemeanor counts of child molesting for making sexually explicit gestures at the girls - who ranged in age from 13 to 15 - on Monday, according to the Los Angeles County Superior Court criminal complaint.

Claudia Peschiutta GLENDALE -- Look out. A new eye-wear store is set to open at the Glendale Galleria today. Solstice is owned by LVMH Group Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, an international luxury brand company. The 1,000-square-foot Glendale location will be one of only a handful of Solstice stores throughout the U.S. In November 1999, the company opened a watch store known as Synchrony at the mall. LVMH later decided to close its Synchrony stores because they did not prove to be as successful as the Solstice locations.

Darleene Barrientos Want to confess your love for your favorite soap opera? Want to meet the stars from "Days of Our Lives" or "General Hospital?" Want to find out which daytime drama character is most like you? Soap opera fans, you can find all the answers to these burning questions and more Saturday and Sunday at the Glendale Galleria. The Soapin' USA Mall Tour stops in Glendale between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday, and between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday.

A 27-year-old South Gate man was arrested Wednesday evening after he ran from police inside the Glendale Galleria, where a patron allegedly spotted him carrying a gun, police said. Nathaniel Gonzales, who is on federal probation for drug violations, was taken into custody about 7 p.m. after police officers chased him from the mall through the Anoush Banquet Hall on the 400 block of West Colorado Street, according to police reports. A mall patron called police about 6:51 p.m. after noticing Gonzales carrying a gun in his shorts pocket as he walked in and out of the mall near Target, according to police reports.

Deborah Meron BMX riders, TV stars, fashion advice and giveaways will ring in back-to-school shopping today at "The Scene," an annual teen event at the Glendale Galleria. Last year, about 3,000 people came to be part of the "scene." "We've always done something spectacular for back-to-school," Galleria marketing director Janet LaFevre said. "It's got so many components that there's something for everyone." Stars of the teen TV drama "Degrassi: The Next Generation" will sign free autographs and briefly meet each fan. The Galleria scheduled their appearance because of their popularity with the teenage demographic, which they hope to target for fall sales.

A rotating schedule of overnight and early-morning store openings significantly eased the Black Friday crowds at the Glendale Galleria, producing a much calmer scene compared to years past. Black Friday used to be confined to early-morning store openings, attracting huge crowds of pre-dawn deal seekers. But this year, with major retailers pushing their opening times further into Thursday, the onslaught of shoppers was spread out, leaving relatively normal conditions for those who arrived at 6 or 7 a.m. The difference wasn't lost on Eva Hermano, who was shopping with her daughter, Leslie, at the Galleria at 6:30 a.m. “I said to her, 'Where are all the people?

A 43-year-old Glendale man was banned from the Americana at Brand and Glendale Galleria after police say he was caught using his cell phone on Monday to photograph the buttocks of girls and women. Paul Martin Birkeland was arrested and released at the scene on suspicion of annoying children and photographing a person for sexual gratification without their consent after he allegedly admitted to masturbating to the images, according to police. He could be arrested for trespassing if he is spotted at the malls, according to Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz.

People driving or walking around Brand Boulevard and Broadway in downtown Glendale are seeing something unusual - a giant green cube on the southwest corner of the intersection. The exterior of the building where a Bloomingdale's store is being built is covered with a green mesh fabric to prevent dust and debris from leaving the construction area and falling onto pedestrians and passing vehicles, according to Shoshana Puccia, senior marketing manager for the Galleria. The department store, which is slated for an autumn opening, is moving into the Galleria in the former Mervyn's site.

A 19-year-old Los Angeles man was stabbed twice in his arm, possibly by his brother, on Saturday near the Glendale Galleria, police said. The man, whose name wasn't released, told police he was jumped at about 8:32 p.m. and stabbed twice in the left arm by two men, but declined to talk about the incident, according to Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz. A witness, however, reported seeing something different. The witness told police the man was arguing and fighting with his brother inside a van just before officers arrived to the scene.

Many times in the news business, truth ends up being stranger than fiction. And in Glendale, 2012 was full of stories that no doubt had people talking around the water cooler. A man dressed in a skintight zebra-print outfit at the Glendale Galleria allegedly harassing a group of girls? A woman mistakenly taking her Mercedes up the Verdugo Wash at 70 mph? Yes, all of these and more happened in 2012. Here's a reminder of some the more shocking head-scratchers. Glendale Galleria bans man in feather boa A 44-year-old Hollywood man was banned from the Glendale Galleria in August for allegedly sexually harassing a group of teenage girls at the mall while dressed in a zebra-print spandex outfit complete with a feather boa and fedora.

A casual, sit-down Vietnamese-centric restaurant is now open adjacent to what will soon be a completely renovated entrance to the Glendale Galleria. Called 9021pho, chef Kimmy Tang, a partner on the project, is well-known in the culinary world for her unique, health-conscious approach. And the restaurant fulfills the mall's goal of finding a unique vendor for such a prominent location. “You can get lots of burgers and fries everywhere,” said Shoshanna Puccia, senior marketing manager for the Galleria.

A rotating schedule of overnight and early-morning store openings significantly eased the Black Friday crowds at the Glendale Galleria, producing a much calmer scene compared to years past. Black Friday used to be confined to early-morning store openings, attracting huge crowds of pre-dawn deal seekers. But this year, with major retailers pushing their opening times further into Thursday, the onslaught of shoppers was spread out, leaving relatively normal conditions for those who arrived at 6 or 7 a.m. The difference wasn't lost on Eva Hermano, who was shopping with her daughter, Leslie, at the Galleria at 6:30 a.m. “I said to her, 'Where are all the people?

A tussle was reported Tuesday afternoon at a local polling place between an attorney for a firm that represents an arm of the California Democratic Party and a campaign staffer for GOP Assembly candidate Greg Krikorian, police said. Police officers were first called to a polling station in Fire Station 21 on Columbus Avenue near the Glendale Galleria at 4:30 p.m. in response to reports of electioneering filed by an attorney who works for a Los Angeles firm that represents the state Democratic Party's Promote and Protect the Vote program.

A 24-year-old former Target store employee was arrested this past weekend on a warrant for allegedly masturbating outside the Glendale Galleria in front of two women last year. Los Angeles police stopped the man, Hanover Mares, early Saturday in the 100 block of Los Angeles Street and arrested him on the outstanding warrant for indecent exposure, according to Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz. The women, who were employees at American Eagle Outfitters, reported the indecent exposure incident to officers on April 18, 2011, according to Glendale police reports.

Microsoft on Monday announced plans to open a temporary storefront in the Glendale Galleria for the holiday shopping season -- part of a nationwide push to increase the company's retail presence as it launches the new Windows 8 operating system this October. The only other city in California slated to get a pop-up store so far is San Francisco. In its announcement, Microsoft said the store would officer customers “an engaging way to experience the best of Microsoft's products and services.” In addition to its new operating system, the company is expected to also unveil a number of new devices with Windows Phone 8. Currently, Microsoft has stores in 20 cities with many major markets not among them, including some of the ones getting temporary stores, according to the Los Angeles Times.

A U.S. District Court jury on Friday ruled in favor of the Glendale Police Department and two Glendale police officers who were sued by a 72-year-old man who claimed the officers used excessive force when they arrested him and broke his arm. The seven-member jury returned the verdict after three days of testimony, clearing officers Aaron Zeigler and Francisco Martinez of all excessive force allegations. “We felt like they acted totally within department policy,” City Atty. Mike Garcia said.