Proposed Poway placement for sexually violent predator quickly rescinded (original) (raw)

State officials requested in a court hearing Friday to rescind the proposed location for a sexually violent predator — only days after announcing they were looking at a home in Poway.

This is the third time a placement for Merle Wakefield hasn’t worked out in recent years. One proposed location in Mount Helix garnered vocal criticism from nearby residents in 2021 and another was rescinded later that year so Wakefield could receive more treatment.

The latest location — a home at 15720 Sycamore Canyon Road, north of the Goodan Ranch preserve — faced swift opposition from residents and elected officials this week.

Merle Wakefield, 67

Poway Mayor Steve Vaus celebrated the state’s request on the social media platform X.

“Victory! The proposed placement of Sexually Violent Predator Merle Wakefield on Sycamore Canyon Road is off the table,” the mayor wrote. “POWAY’s voice was heard — not here, not now, not ever!”

The public hearing that was scheduled for next month will instead be used to discuss other housing options, officials with the District Attorney’s Office said.

Wakefield was convicted in 1981 of committing lewd acts with a minor under 14 and rape by means of force, violence or fear in 1990, according to the District Attorney’s Office. He went to prison in both cases.

The state labeled him a sexually violent predator in 1998, and Wakefield was sent to a state hospital, where he had the option of participating in a treatment program aimed at curbing his criminal urges.

To be classified by the state as a sexually violent predator, or SVP, a person has to have been convicted of a violent sex crime against at least one victim and be diagnosed with a condition that makes that person likely to re-offend. The designation is reserved for less than 1 percent of the state’s sexual offender population and means those people can be committed to state hospitals long after serving their prison terms.

In December 2020, a judge granted Wakefield’s request for a conditional release under strict supervision. Soon after, Liberty Healthcare, the company contracted to supervise Wakefield and other SVPs, proposed a home in Mount Helix. A judge shot down the suggestion, saying at the time that the site was not appropriate given the area’s density and the home’s proximity to children.

A second location was proposed in Borrego Springs, but before Wakefield could be placed, Liberty requested he complete additional treatment, and the location was abandoned.

In March 2022, the District Attorney’s Office petitioned for Wakefield’s conditional release to be rescinded. That motion was denied.

Although some sexually violent predators get sent back to a hospital for violating the terms of their supervision, no sexually violent predator has re-offended while under Liberty Healthcare’s supervision.

Originally Published: July 12, 2024 at 5:01 p.m.