Santa Cruz Sheriff Fights Plan to House 74-Year-Old Rapist Near Girl Scout Camp
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Oct 23
Santa Cruz Sheriff Fights Plan to House 74-Year-Old Rapist Near Girl Scout Camp
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 23
Summary
$800,000-plus rental home in the Santa Cruz Mountains is under review for Michael Thomas Cheek, 74, prompting Sheriff Chris Clark to warn it sits near a Girl Scout camp and schools.
Clark said the rugged mountain terrain, weak cell service and winter power outages could undermine electronic monitoring and slow deputies or residents from getting help if Cheek reoffends.
Cheek was convicted in 1980 of raping a woman at gunpoint, then escaped jail and raped a 15-year-old girl at gunpoint; he was later classified as a sexually violent predator.
Two earlier efforts to place Cheek in Santa Cruz County failed, and Clark argues the county has no obligation to house a man whose only tie there is victimizing local people.
Oct. 30 is the next key date, when a superior court judge is set to hear arguments on the proposed placement.