It won't be long before Christopher Hubbart will be walking the streets of Los Angeles County. The 62-year-old who sexually assaulted 38 California women from 1971 to 1982, some 20 of them in L.A. and San Bernardino counties, will be released from Coalinga State Hospital within months.
"Here in Los Angeles of course there are feelings that we do not want him to come back to Los Angeles," said Patti Giggans, executive director of Peace Over Violence.
Giggans along with L.A. County officials and law enforcement are concerned about Hubbart's pending release.
In 1979, state doctors said Hubbart was no longer a threat to the public, but after his release, he committed more sexual assaults in the Bay Area. In 1996, he was declared a sexually violent predator and committed to another state hospital for treatment. Now his doctors are supporting his release.
"This man was convicted. He was released. He reoffended," said Giggans. "This is a serious serial predator, and I think common sense says he needs to be kept under surveillance."
Wednesday, the California Supreme Court denied L.A. County District Attorney Jackie Lacey's request to review the location where Hubbart should be set free. After the court's decision, Lacey released this statement:
"We aggressively pursued and exhausted all legal avenues to stop the release of sexually violent predator Christopher Hubbart to Los Angeles County. We now are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to ensure that all terms and conditions of Hubbart's release from custody are strictly enforced. We will do everything within our power to keep all members of our community safe from harm."
Hubbart will be released to L.A. County as soon as court-approved housing is finalized. He will be required to wear an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet, and he will need to submit to polygraphs and other tests.
