Mayor says state has withdrawn proposal to house sex offender in Poway – San Diego Union-Tribune

The recommendation to house a sex offender in Poway is off the table, the city’s mayor, Steve Vaus, announced Friday morning at a protest rally attended by several hundred people.

Vaus said he has received confirmation that the California Department of Mental Health will not proceed with the placement of 67-year-old Merle Wade Wakefield in a home at 15720 Sycamore Canyon Road in part because of community opposition.

“You know Poway is special, and we pride ourselves on being the safest city in the county,” Vaus told the crowd at Garden Road Park, many of whom waved signs. “We pride ourselves on being family friendly. When we’re threatened by a monster in the community, this family comes together to say: Not here, not now, not ever.”

Wakefield is considered a sexually violent offender. This category includes people who have been convicted of sexual violence and have been diagnosed with a mental disorder that increases the likelihood that the person will reoffend.

According to the San Diego District Attorney’s Office, in 1981, when he was in his mid-20s, Wakefield was convicted of lewd acts with a minor under the age of 14 and sentenced to prison. In 1990, Wakefield was convicted of rape by force or fear and again sentenced to prison.

After serving their prison sentence, SVPs are treated in state hospitals, but can also apply to the court to continue treatment in outpatient facilities, where they are monitored by GPS, among other things.

It is the third time in recent years that officials have considered locating Wakefield in a San Diego County community. A proposed site in Mount Helix drew swift and vocal criticism from residents in 2021, and another in Borrego Springs was withdrawn later that year so Wakefield could receive more treatment.

Vaus said he learned the news of the placement’s withdrawal Thursday night from San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan, three days after the proposed placement was announced.

“She had heard from the deputy director of the California Department of Public Health that they were going to delay the proposed accommodation,” Vaus said after his announcement at the park.

Stephan was not immediately available for comment.

Vaus said he attributed the decision to a letter from Miriam Ronaghy-Hodgson, the owner of the property on Sycamore Canyon Road, in addition to support and vocal opposition from the community.

The July 11 letter to Vaus, which was forwarded to Liberty Healthcare, states that there is no signed agreement between her and Liberty Healthcare to house a sex offender on her property. Liberty Healthcare operates the state’s conditional release program for sex offenders.

“Furthermore, I will not agree to any such arrangement or placement,” Ronaghy-Hodgson said in the letter. “I oppose any plan to place a sexually violent offender in my home at 15720 Sycamore Canyon Road.”

Emily Richards, who has operated Serenity Equestrian Center on Sycamore Canyon Road for 17 years, said she started crying when she heard the news of the job cancellation.

Richards said the accommodation in Wakefield would have had an impact on Serenity Equestrian as its clientele consists predominantly of women and children.

“I was very relieved because our business and our families were at stake,” said Richards, who attended the rally. “I had clients tell me they would have to move (their horse training and boarding business) and would no longer be able to visit the facility if he moved to our street.”

“Plus, I have my own family and my own two children, ages 10 and 14,” she said. “They would not have been able to play outside anymore, and they do that every day. The neighborhood is swarming with children under 16.”

Cindy Sytsma, a Poway Unified School District trustee who attended the rally, expressed relief that the placement proposal was withdrawn.

Sytsma, a 22-year resident of Poway and resident of the Garden Road neighborhood, also said she was surprised the problem was resolved so quickly. She had only heard about it a few days earlier, she said.

“Garden Road is the best-kept secret in this district,” Sytsma said. “We are one village and one force. We support each other.”

Chantal Anderson, vice president of the parent council at Garden Road Elementary School, said her two sons who attend the school can now play safely outside.

“I’m beyond amazed,” Anderson said. “This community is a family and they couldn’t have had this,” she said. “It says a lot about who we are.”

Originally published: July 12, 2024 at 12:49