MOUNT HELIX (KUSI) – Mount Helix residents are celebrating the first victory in the legal battle to fight the placement of sexually violent predators in their neighborhood.
County Supervisor Joel Anderson joined residents today to express his support of the decision and to discuss what happens next.
“If Liberty Healthcare was lying about vetting the house, and their code compliance, then are they going to be lying about the 24/7 monitoring that they have a contract to fulfill?” County Supervisor Anderson asked at his press conference. “Liberty gets paid between 20 and $30,000 per each sexually violent predator. I’ve lost all confidence in their ability to do their job because they lied in court,” Supervisor Anderson said.
SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – A judge today rejected placing a sexually violent predator poised for conditional release at a home in the Mount Helix neighborhood, saying the residence was located in a densely populated neighborhood and in close proximity to children.
District Attorney Summer Stephan and many community members, particularly those living in the Mount Helix neighborhood, opposed the placement of the two SVPs.
The District Attorney’s Office was not involved in the case besides ensuring that the DA’s and the public’s grievances were made known to the court before the ruling.
The Department of State Hospitals are responsible for locating and recommending housing placement for SVPs who have been directed to the area for continued treatment.
SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – A judge today rejected placing a sexually violent predator poised for conditional release at a home in the Mount Helix neighborhood, saying the residence was located in a densely populated neighborhood and in close proximity to children.
San Diego Superior Court Judge Albert Harutunian III said the home at 10957 Horizon Hills Drive, which was proposed by state hospital officials to house 64-year-old Merle Wade Wakefield, was “not what the legislature intended for SVP placements.”
Wakefield, who is currently housed at Coalinga State Hospital, is classified as a sexually violent predator, a designation for those convicted of sexually violent offenses and diagnosed with a mental disorder that makes them likely to re-offend. According to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, Wakefield was convicted of sex crimes in 1981 and 1990 and served prison terms for each crime.
SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – After the continued efforts of community members, politicians, and more, a San Diego Superior Court Judge ruled that a Mount Helix home would not house sexually violent predator Merle Wakefield.
Given its proximity to homes with children, a music academy, and a childcare site, Judge Albert T. Harutunian III said that the house was not appropriate for Wakefield.
“It is not a safe placement for the community,” Harutunian said.
District 2 County Supervisor Joel Anderson joined KUSI’s Ginger Jeffries to discuss the judge’s rejection of the SVP’s proposed placement.
Supervisor Anderson noted the high ratio of SVPs to residents in East County, where it appears many of them are being sent.
Merle Wade Wakefield
MOUNT HELIX (KUSI) – A judge today rejected placing a sexually violent predator poised for conditional release at a home in the Mount Helix neighborhood, saying the residence was located in a densely populated neighborhood and in close proximity to children.
San Diego Superior Court Judge Albert Harutunian III said the home at 10957 Horizon Hills Drive, which was proposed by state hospital officials to house 64-year-old Merle Wade Wakefield, was “not what the legislature intended for SVP placements.”
Wakefield, who is currently housed at Coalinga State Hospital, is classified as a sexually violent predator, a designation for those convicted of sexually violent offenses and diagnosed with a mental disorder that makes them likely to re-offend. According to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, Wakefield was convicted of sex crimes in 1981 and 1990 and served prison terms for each crime.