California town fights release of notorious 'pillowcase rapist' into their community

A California community is rallying together to protest the release of a notorious rapist back into the populations at large. According to KTLA Channel 5, residents of Antelope Valley are trying to prevent convicted "pillowcase rapist" Christopher Evans Hubbart from moving into a house in their midst.

Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Gilbert Brown ruled in April that Hubbart was eligible for release and approved a plan for Hubbart to move into a house in east Palmdale.

Hubbart, 63, was convicted of sexually assaulting dozens of women beginning in 1972. He was jailed for a time, then released into the San Francisco Bay area in 1979, where he carried out a series of new assaults. He was imprisoned again in 1982 and sentenced to 16 years, but was released again in 1990.

Upon that release, he attacked more women and in 1996 was confined to Coalinga State Hospital and deemed a "sexually violent predator," a characterization that Hubbart challenged in court.

In 2013, he petitioned for release from the hospital. Because his latest conviction took place in Santa Clara County, it fell to Judge Brown to decide whether Hubbart should be released.

Earlier this week, radio hosts John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou -- hosts of KFI's "John and Ken Show" -- held a rally at the Palmdale house where Hubbart could potentially reside. They and other residents oppose Hubbart's release.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey has lent her voice to the campaign to keep the serial predator behind bars, as has Democratic State Assemblyman Steve Fox, who released a statement on Wednesday.

“Each time that Mr. Hubbart has been released from custody, he has raped or attempted to rape women in his community," said Fox. "While no community would want to accept a person who admits that he raped 70 women, other communities provide a more adequate police presence. Mr. Hubbart would present a clear and present danger to his neighbors, and would be an instant target for vigilantes.”

Protesters crowded into a public hearing on Wednesday to voice their resistance to having a notoriously remorseless violent criminal released into their midst. They argued that the police presence in Palmeade is not sufficient to protect residents from a criminal with Hubbart's past. The area currently has two deputy sheriffs as the total of its daytime police force.

Brown said through a spokesperson that he will rule on the matter "in the near future."

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