No decision was made today at a hearing inside a Hollywood courthouse about the placement of Christopher Hubbart, known as the “Pillowcase Rapist,” in an Antelope Valley community, leaving many residents deeply opposed to the proposal on edge and frustrated.
Hubbart was convicted in 1973, 1982 and 1990 in Los Angeles and Santa Clara counties for a series of rapes and other sex crimes targeting dozens of women.
He was released in 2014 and placed in a home east of Palmdale. For the 20 months he lived there, the community continuously protested. After violating his conditional release for failing a lie detector test five times, he wound up back in custody until late last year, when the now 74-year-old was released again.
“It’s terrifying, it’s scary, that he’s going to try to come into my house and rape me,” Diane Swick, who lives 300 feet from the proposed home in Juniper Hills where Hubbart could potentially be placed.
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Former Antelope Valley home where Christopher Hubbart lived during supervised release. (KTLA) -
Christopher Hubbart being escorted by police during his last supervised release. (KTLA) -
Christopher Hubbart seen in this undated photo. (KTLA) -
Christopher Hubbart seen in this undated photo. (KTLA) -
Christopher Hubbart is shown in a photo released by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department the day he was sent to his new home, July 9, 2014.
Outside the courthouse, Swick and others, like Mary Jegers, Linda Adams and Cynthia Farrow, voiced their frustration over the return of the notorious sex offender to their community.
“I don’t understand why they plan to release him to almost the exact same area. It’s only about six miles from where he was before, Jegers said. “It’s not depopulated. It’s not some barren wasteland with no one else around. There are families with children living next door and across the street.”
During the Tuesday’s hearing, the judge suggested the state’s outpatient sex offender program would have cameras installed at the home and perform spot inspections, but Antelope Valley residents say the state is using their community as a dumping ground for violent sex offenders.
“When there’s only 20 of these sexually violent predators in the whole state and two of them are already housed in our area, and this would make a third, yeah, it’s a dumping ground,” Adams said.
Yet another issue residents voiced was why Tuesday’s hearing, which did not allow for public comments, was being held in Hollywood, outside the Antelope Valley community where Hubbart could be placed.
“Why would they do it down here,” Farrow asked. “They always try to do things behind our back.”
Residents are not the only one protesting Hubbart’s possible placement in Los Angeles County, several high-profile county leaders, including Supervisor Kathryn Barger and DA have released statements opposing the move.
“Mr. Hubbart’s prior release in a nearby community was fraught with problems and ended in his return to confinement in the state hospital. Should the court place him at the proposed location, there is no reason to expect a different result this time. This is an inappropriate placement location for Christopher Hubbart. The court should reject the proposed site and order Liberty Healthcare to begin a new housing search,” District Attorney Gascón said.
The judge said he would take all the letters of concerns he’s received into consideration while acknowledging that Hubbart has already been released and has to be placed somewhere.
