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A convicted rapist could be turned loose into a wealthy California town near schools and a Girl Scout camp as the local sheriff fights to keep the sexually violent predator from moving in.
Michael Thomas Cheek, 74, is being considered for release from a locked psychiatric facility to a home in the enclave of Los Gatos in the Santa Cruz Mountains, where Sheriff Chris Clark warns the terrain could make it harder for deputies to respond if the convicted predator strikes again.
“The concerns are specific and serious. The home is surrounded by dense forest and steep terrain. Schools, a Girl Scout Camp, a church, a public park, and neighborhoods where families live are also nearby,” Clark said, according to KRON 4.
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Cheek’s criminal history includes the 1980 rape of a young woman at gunpoint on Seabright Beach. The following year, after escaping custody in Contra Costa County, he raped a 15-year-old girl at gunpoint.
The former Concord resident was classified as a sexually violent predator for his crimes. After decades in prison, he completed a sex offender treatment program at a locked psychiatric facility in 2019 and was cleared to pursue supervised housing.
Now, the proposed address at 25237 Terrace Grove Road must pass a judicial test before Cheek can leave custody — and Clark wants the court to slam the door on the plan.
The sheriff says unreliable cellphone service and spotty GPS coverage could slow deputies responding to a potential new offense.
“Narrow roads, abandoned structures, and recreational vehicles in the area could further complicate a search or apprehension,” Clark wrote.
The latest proposal for Cheek’s release comes after two previous attempts to place him in Santa Cruz County fell through amid public opposition.
Those sites were 310 Wild Iris Lane in Bonny Doon and 204 Forest Drive in Aptos, near the beach.
Superior Court Judge Nancy De La Pena will hear arguments for and against the latest placement on Oct. 30 at the Santa Cruz County courthouse.
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