Antelope Valley Press

Rally against sexual predator placement

- By JULIE DRAKE Valley Press Staff Writer

PALMDALE — Community activists will stage a demonstrat­ion today to protest the proposed placement of sexually violent predator Calvin Grassmier in the community.

The rally is scheduled for 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Daisy Gibson Elementary School, 9650 East Palmdale Blvd.

The proposed placement address for Grassier is 10320 East Ave. Q-10, which is about one mile away from Daisy Gibson and less than a quarter mile from Littlerock High School.

Activist and Wilsona School District Trustee Vladimir Gomez organized the protest. He also started a Change.org petition in opposition to Grassmier’s placement in the rural communitie­s of Littlerock/Sun Village.

Gomez received many calls from Littlerock residents and friends looking for assistance in keeping Grassmier out of the community, he wrote in an email.

“First told them to email the appropriat­e officials with their concerns, next I started the petition, to gather more support,” Gomez wrote. “And to let our officials know we are going to stand up to protect the safety and well-being of our children and the rest our communitie­s.”

Grassmier was blocked from moving to a residentia­l, family-oriented neighborho­od in La Crescenta last month.

He will be required to wear a GPS ankle monitor. He will be under surveillan­ce 24 hours a day, seven days a week when initially released. Surveillan­ce reduces over time depending upon behavior, according to the California Department of State Hospitals.

He was committed to the Department of State Hospitals as a sexually violent predator in August 1999 and held in a secure hospital for treatment, according to the LA County District attorney’s office.

In November, the court ordered his conditiona­l release to begin outpatient treatment and supervisio­n. Outpatient

status is the final phase of the relapse prevention treatment program, which the Department of State Hospitals administer­s through the Conditiona­l Release Program, according to the district attorney’s office.

The public can submit written comments to the District Attorney’s office before Aug. 10, via mail to: Sexually Violent Predator Unit, 9425 Penfield Ave., No. 3210, Chatsworth, CA 91311, or by email at SVP@da.lacounty.gov

 ?? VALLEY PRESS FILES ?? This is the Sun Village home into which sexually violent offender Calvin Grassmier could be placed, upsetting local residents.
VALLEY PRESS FILES This is the Sun Village home into which sexually violent offender Calvin Grassmier could be placed, upsetting local residents.

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