Sex offender detention in Poway lifted

In a court hearing Friday, state officials asked to withdraw a proposed residence for a sex offender – just days after announcing they were looking for a home in Poway.

This is the third time in recent years that a placement for Merle Wakefield has fallen through. A proposed site in Mount Helix drew vocal criticism from residents in 2021 and another was withdrawn later that year so Wakefield could receive more treatment.

The newest location – a house at 15720 Sycamore Canyon Road, north of the Goodan Ranch Nature Preserve – faced fierce opposition from residents and elected officials this week.

Poway Mayor Steve Vaus celebrated the state’s request on the social media platform X.

“Victory! The proposed Sycamore Canyon Road housing of sexually violent offender Merle Wakefield is off the table,” the mayor wrote. “POWAY’S voice has been heard – not here, not now, not ever!”

The public hearing scheduled for next month will instead focus on discussing other housing options, district attorney’s officials said.

Wakefield was convicted in 1981 of lewd acts with a minor under 14 and in 1990 of rape by force or fear, prosecutors said. He went to prison in both cases.

The state declared him a sexually violent offender in 1998 and sent Wakefield to a state clinic where he had the opportunity to participate in a treatment program designed to curb his criminal tendencies.

For a person to be classified by the state as a sexually violent offender (SVP), they must have been convicted of a violent sex crime against at least one victim and must have been diagnosed with a medical condition that increases the likelihood of reoffending. This designation is reserved for less than one percent of the state’s sex offenders and means these individuals can be committed to state hospitals long after they have completed their prison sentence.

In December 2020, a judge granted Wakefield’s request for a conditional release under strict supervision. Shortly thereafter, Liberty Healthcare, the company that oversees Wakefield and other IBOs, proposed a home in Mount Helix. A judge rejected the proposal, saying at the time that the location was not suitable given the area’s population density and the home’s proximity to children.

A second location was proposed in Borrego Springs, but before Wakefield could be placed there, Liberty required him to perform additional treatments and the location was abandoned.

In March 2022, prosecutors applied to revoke Wakefield’s conditional release. This application was denied.

Although some sex offenders are readmitted to the hospital for violating the terms of their supervision, no sex offender under Liberty Healthcare’s supervision has reoffended.

Originally published: July 12, 2024 at 5:01 p.m.