A man designated by the county as a “sexually violent predator” has been released from custody and will be living in Yucca Valley. Richard Murillo, 75, was convicted of indecent exposure and lewd acts with three children under the age of 14 in 1994, and served five years in state prison. Following his conviction for felony spouse abuse in 2000, authorities determined that Murillo was mentally disturbed, and under the state’s civil commitment law, he has been confined to state hospitals since 2002. Under California law, anyone who has a diagnosed mental disorder and whose victims are under age 14, is considered a sexually violent predator; the offender does not need to use force, violence, or fear of injury during the crime to be categorized as a “sexually violent predator.” Yucca Valley Town Manager Curtis Yakimow attended a public hearing last Friday to protest the release of Murillo to Yucca Valley, citing the Town’s limited budget for deputy patrols in Murillo’s Yucca Valley neighborhood; and the high number of absentee parents (due to both parents working, or a military parent deployed, or single parents) that make large numbers of children vulnerable to—and easily manipulated by—sexual predators. On May 1, the court authorized the release of Murillo to a home in the 7300 block of Fairway Drive where he will be under the constant and direct supervision of a third-party, taxpayer-funded contractor. Among the conditions of his release, Murillo will wear a GPS monitor, must be escorted by the contractor whenever he leaves his home, and undergo regular screenings and evaluations.
From the Department of State Hospitals about treatment and supervision of sexually violent predators:
All conditionally released sexually violent predators receive an intensive regimen of treatment and supervision that includes individual contact by supervision staff, specialized sex offender treatment, weekly drug screening, surveillance, polygraph examinations, and active Global Positioning System tracking.
Security is usually in place 24-hours a day and seven days a week when initially released. Security reduces over time depending upon behavior and improvements. The level of security is continuously evaluated based on the patient’s behavior and improvements.
The use of security does not change other requirements on the patient. In other words, the patient will remain under GPS monitoring; the home or living unit is still subject to searches; and the individual must still report to in-person meetings, etc. Any failure to follow the rules regarding treatment, drug screening, surveillance and examinations may result in a return to a state hospital.
SEXUALLY VIOLENT PREDATOR TO BE RELEASED IN YUCCA VALLEY
