Senator Scott Wilk (R-Santa Clarita) issued the following statement upon learning that violent sexual predator Calvin Grassmier may soon call Antelope Valley home. The 66-year-old Grassmier, convicted of rape and sexual assault of a minor, was blocked by a Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge from moving to La Crescenta. The Judge is considering a location in the 21st Senate District as an alternative.
“The Antelope Valley is not a dumping ground for violent criminals — it is a family community that spurs innovative production. It is unacceptable that a sexual predator is set to be moved to the area after being rejected from another community. The same offender was denied a move to La Crescenta because it is a “family oriented” community. So moving him to less than a quarter mile from Little Rock High School is better? No. This is very troubling and puts our community at risk.”
Senator Wilk authored legislation in 2018 to address the ‘dumping’ of criminals in more affordable or rural areas of the state. Senate Bill 1199 (SB 1199) which was signed into law by Governor Brown, expanded the protections against releasing sexually violent predators into random communities to include, when reasonably possible, taking family and community ties into consideration, as well as the availability of reentry services when determining where inmates convicted of registrable sex offenses are placed. This law applies except in cases where such placement would violate any other law or pose a risk to the victim. Rural, less populated communities like the Antelope and Victor valleys, should not be collateral damage when convicted sex offenders go from prison to parole. The influx of violent criminals into rural towns and cities poses and unacceptable risk to the residents. Assemblymember Lackey was a co-author of SB 1199.