'Dumping' sexual predator in Antelope Valley is unfair to region's Black community, officials say
ANTELOPE VALLEY (KABC) -- Convicted sexual predator Calvin Grassmier may soon call the Antelope Valley home as a judge is looking to relocate the 66-year-old near the town of Littlerock - but many residents and local officials don't want him there.
Grassmier was convicted of rape and sexual assault of a minor. Upon his release from lockup, a judge was considering moving him to La Crescenta, but residents teamed up with political leaders to oppose the decision, and the judge made an about-face.
The judge is now considering moving him to the High Desert - but this is facing similar opposition.
"I don't feel safe. My community doesn't feel safe, especially for the kids," said Vladimir Gomez, an area resident.
Eyewitness News talked to the mayors of Palmdale and Lancaster, and they are both opposed to moving the sexual predator to the Antelope Valley. Both mayors say the Sun Village area has been for decades a primarily African American community that is thriving and growing. The home Grassmier would be moved into sits in Sun Village.
MORE | Convicted violent sexual predator could be moving to Antelope Valley
"These predators are just toxic trash that they dump on us all the time. Traditionally what happens is you dump toxic waste on minority populations, let's be honest about that, that's what happens," said Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris.
"The social inequity of this, it just reeks. This is a traditionally and historically African American community that's worked hard to establish their identity separate from Littlerock, separate from Palmdale. It's a good, wholesome, hard-working community, and you want to dump this guy in the middle of that?" said Palmdale Mayor Steven Hofbauer
"It's such a rural area that they can dump anybody out here, but it's not going to happen, because I know my community is going to stand behind us and we're going to fight," said Brenda Munoz, resident of Littlerock.
Munoz rolled up her sleeves and is ready to rally against the court's possible move to place Grassmier into the rural High Desert community bordering Littlerock and Sun village. Grassmier would be housed in a location not far from schools. Munoz says that's alarming.
"Well it's right by a school here and there another high school down the street, so there shouldn't be any violent predator put by any kind of school, church or any kind of area that there's children at," she said.
RELATED: La Crescenta residents don't want sexual offender in their neighborhood
