At a Nov. 5 hearing, the Orange County Superior Court will consider Lancaster as a possible placement location for Lawtis Donald Rhoden, a sexually violent predator with multiple sexual assault convictions and a history of reoffending.
The proposed placement address for Rhoden is 48040 25th Street East, which is approximately eight miles from the closest Sheriff’s station. The location is also a considerable distance from any support programs and essential care services, and the rural terrain has unreliable cell phone and GPS service, which would be problematic for the 24/7 monitoring that will be necessary to ensure community safety.
“Enough is enough,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “This is becoming an issue of equity and we cannot allow the North County to be a recurrent location for violent criminals who have no nexus or connection to the area.”
“The city of Lancaster will not stand for having sexually violent predators like Rhoden shipped here from Orange County or elsewhere,” said Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris. “Join us in speaking out and keeping Lancaster safe for our families.”
This is the second proposed placement of a sexually violent predator in the Antelope Valley in the past several months, following the release of Calvin Grassmier who was recently placed in the Sun Village / Littlerock area.
“The Antelope Valley is not the state’s dumping ground for convicted sex offenders yet the administration is considering placement of yet another one into our community… When is enough is enough?” said Senator Scott Wilk. “Like many areas of California, this is a family community and like many other family communities, we do not want our neighborhoods overrun with sexually violent predators.”
Rhoden was convicted of rape, sexual assault, and sexual battery in California, Florida, and Tennessee. He served time in prison and then transferred to the California Department of State Hospitals. For the California crimes, Rhoden was tried in both Orange and Los Angeles counties. Orange County courts cite the existence of “extraordinary circumstances” that prevent his placement in Orange County, but believe the city of Lancaster is an option.
“Lancaster will not be a haven for violent criminals. We are calling on our community to take a stand with us,” said Lancaster Vice Mayor Marvin Crist. “We owe it to the young people of Lancaster to fight for their safety. My fellow City Council Members stand together in opposition to the mere suggestion of sending Rhoden here and putting our youth at risk.”
How to take action
Officials are urging local residents to voice their concerns with the Orange County Court in advance of the placement hearing, which is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 5, at the Orange County Superior Court. Concerns and comments should be sent before Oct. 19, to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, which is compiling all submissions to share with the court and the Department of State Hospitals.
Comments can be submitted via email to Rhoden.Comments@da.lacounty.gov or via mail to: Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Attn: Jay S. Grobeson, Deputy District Attorney, 9425 Penfield Ave., #3210, Chatsworth, CA 91311.
More information on Rhoden, including his crimes and the next steps in the placement process, can be found on the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s website at: https://da.lacounty.gov/sexually-violent-predators.
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Magnetlady says
Residents in ”Littlerock” protested the first SVP, Grassier, we sent e-mails to the DA’s office & STILL this guy was moved to Littlerock.. We support Lancaster in their effort to STOP the ”COURT” from moving his SVP to Lancaster.. BTW, when I looked up the address where Rodan will be placed, the property is ”FOR SALE”, is the County going to buy this property for the ”unbelievable price” of over $500,000, when it’s worth LESS?? This property is on acreage, 3.5 acres I think, so how much is the ”RENT” going to cost TAXPAYERS??? The Court is making this decision about WHERE to place this SVP. I wish they’d listen to the ”residents” FIRST, but they don’t!! The same thing happened several years ago in Lake L.A., remember Christopher Hubbart, The ”Pillowcase Rapist” ? Residents Protested, Lawmaker’s attended along with KFI Radio & they STILL MOVED him to Lake L.A., complete with his own SECURITY GUARDS!!
James says
All who release people like this back in to society, should be forced to live as neighbors for a period of no less than five years. This will ensure violent predators will stay in jail. They need metal health help, that most likely will never be a addressed in their lifetime.
Tim Scott says
Who do you think that is exactly James?
The people who “are releasing people like this” are following the law. What would you have them do?
Twenty years from now, when someone going to trial in 2022 is being released and some fifteen year old kid is asking you “Uncle James you were alive back when this monster was being sentenced, how did you let this happen?” what do you plan to say?
Claire says
As long as there is disunity among the people in Lancaster and Palmdale, this is what residents can expect. Commenters that do nothing but spit out their hatred toward every elected politician, have nothing to offer as a solution, or are willing to put forth the effort to make changes. If this predator ends up here, there will be the usual warriors with their bull horns making this predator’s life miserable, while the usual complainers will still be posting. The politicians mentioned in this article do have a voice.
Claire says
BTW, I have a positive opinion of Kathryn Barger, but my opinion doesn’t matter as long as the voters are happy with her, and by her landslide win, they are happy.
Tim Scott says
What disunity is that Claire? People in Lancaster know their local government is dysfunctional and corrupt…people in Palmdale know it is also. People in Lancaster are mostly too apathetic to do anything about it…people in Palmdale are so apathetic that they have allowed the corruption and dysfunction to spread to Palmdale. They seem pretty well unified.
Predator says
A perfect place for Lawtis Rhoden to be relocated to would be Anacrime or Stabba Ana.
Alby says
Do we like the idea of this guy watering his grass and plants in his front yard while conversing with our neighbor Woman and Children the same way sweet hearted old timers do when we’re gone at work? Do I need to answer that question?… Old timers can be annoying enough as it is. Now we have to watch our backs and our windows?… More than we already have to do? Awesome!!!
No voice says
Tim “The Answer” Scott strikes again. The reason they have no voice is because this is one of the few non democratic places left in Commifornia. That’s why they do not get heard, they say what’s unpopular to the state and get nowhere in this beautiful blue state. Look around you, it’s all going downhill with no end in sight.
Tim Scott says
Cool, you apparently understood the point.
Yes, the reason they have no voice is because two thirds of the residents of this state, the state we are in, think that what they are saying is either nonsense or outright treasonous. When they show up pumping out Trumpist insurrection plans they are dangerous, and will still be ignored because the legislature knows they are powerless enough to not destroy us. When they show up with “this is what is being done in the red states” they are ignored because the idea of following along after the failing red states is obviously just stupid.
So they have nothing to say that gives the body of the legislature any reason to pay attention to them, and out to the kids’ table they go.
By the way, if anyone needs to look around, it is you. You blather about California “going downhill.” Take a look at your conservative paradises.
Texas can’t keep the power on. They aren’t having “rolling blackouts” on a hot summer afternoon, they have grid collapses that leave people freezing in their homes for days at a time in the dead of winter. This is a result of “conserving” and letting things go “downhill.”
The rust belt red states aren’t mad at us because “the manufacturing jobs have disappeared.” They were mad LONG before those jobs disappeared. They were mad because their children abandoned them for better lives. Lives that DID NOT involve punching that clock down at the plant like their father and grandfather, or slaving in a coal mine. They don’t want manufacturing jobs brought back to “MAGA,” they just want to kneecap the rest of the country into the same misery so their kids have no better lives to escape to.
The south…we all know what the south wants. Talk about giant steps backwards (and downhill).
There’s a REASON that “conservative principles” are unpopular in California. It’s because the well educated population is doing exactly what you suggest…LOOKING AROUND. And what they see is those “conservative principles” spreading disaster everywhere they are being applied.
Tim Scott says
This is what happens when a community is just ridiculous in their choosing of “representation.”
Scott Wilk can be as dramatic as he wants when he is blathering to his local supporters, but if anyone manages to get the state senate to actually consider a complaint from the AV it will lead to this conversation:
“This seems like they have a complaint…who represents them?”
“Wilk…he’s out at the kids’ table…whenever we let him in the chamber he just wastes time raving about nonsense he thinks will play on Fox News.”
“Oh. Yeah, Wilk. Hmmm.”
The conversation in the state assembly is the same, just change the name and add a couple jokes about “Lackey the lackey.”
County board of supervisors? More polite about it, but Barger has zero power or voice.
And the AV continues punishing ourselves every election, sending the same things and expecting that somehow the state is going to miraculously turn into Alabama.
Mara Arroyo says
This type is sick bastards shouldn’t be out in the streets .it’s a matter of seconds b4 they strike again! They should be burn alive!!!
Tim Scott says
I mostly agree, but to address that we need to change sentencing. Trying to block the release of someone who has done their time (or force their location of release off to “somewhere else,” which is ultimately the same thing) is a dead end. No one seems interested in preventing the same problem from existing twenty years down the road though. More exciting to wail and gnash their teeth over a problem that could only have been prevented by actions that should have been taken twenty years ago.
Claire says
Scott Wilk is getting hammered over this issue of SVP’s in the A.V., so I suggest commenters look up 2018 SB1199 authored by Scott Wilk and co-authored by Lackey.
William says
Too bad Wrecks didn’t get hammered more for his issue of telling people to carry weapons illegally and to shoot the homeless if they try to rob you. Or when he lied about a sheriff’s deputy being shot from a person living in a mental health housing until. Or when he lied about Communist Chinese birth tourism. And on and on and on.
Funny how things are around here.
Tim Scott says
(2) Public concern that would reduce the chance that the inmate’s parole would be successfully completed.
This is another problem with electing Republicans. They are totally clueless about how to draft legislation, since normally all they are looking for is a dramatic emotional appeal to the dumbest voters. Wilk waves the flag over that bill he “wrote,” while ignoring the reality that his legislation is exactly what is being used to move all these offenders into his district.
There is ALWAYS public concern in the city the offender comes from.
That concern ALWAYS reduces the chance the inmate will successfully complete their parole.
Therefore the inmate is ALWAYS going to go somewhere other than where they came from.
Great job Wilk.