San Diego sex offenders to be housed in Poway

Merle Wakefield is a sexually violent offender who was convicted of sexual assault in the 1980s and 1990s. (San Diego County Sheriff’s Department)

POWAY, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) – The California Department of State Hospitals has recommended placing a sexually violent offender in Poway. A public hearing on the proposal is scheduled for next month.

Department officials recommended that Merle Wakefield, who was convicted of sexual assault in the 1980s and 1990s, be housed at 15720 Sycamore Canyon Road, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said Monday. Wakefield’s conditional release was ordered by San Diego Superior Court.

Although a placement has been suggested, it has not yet been determined. A hearing is scheduled for August 9 at the San Diego Central Courthouse.

The Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement (SAFE) Task Force is accepting public comments on the proposed placement by email, phone and mail through July 22. The Task Force and the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office will then forward their comments to the court.

Information on how to submit a comment can be found on the Sheriff’s Department website.

In May 2021, a judge refused to place Wakefield in a home in the Mount Helix neighborhood near El Cajon. Two months later, state hospital officials proposed placing Wakefield in Borrego Springs, but that hearing was canceled after a judge granted a request from Liberty Healthcare, which runs the conditional release program, to provide Wakefield with additional treatment.

“Neither the Sheriff’s Office, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, nor the Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement (SAFE) Task Force are responsible for the selection of the proposed site,” the sheriff’s press release states. “This selection process is the responsibility of the DSH and the San Diego Superior Court.”