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'Pillowcase Rapist' to be released from prison
Christopher Hubbart, known as the "Pillowcase Rapist" and convicted of raping 40 women in the '70s and '80s, is to be released from prison soon and is set to live in Los Angeles County, in the Antelope Valley.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. - Christopher Hubbart, the so-called "Pillowcase Rapist" who muffled his victims’ screams with a pillowcase and was convicted of a series of rapes and other sex crimes in two California counties, has been granted conditional release, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced Wednesday.
The convicted rapist and sexually violent predator has been recommended for placement in the Antelope Valley, located about 40 miles north of downtown, according to officials with the Department of State Hospitals.
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In March, against Gascón's objections, a Santa Clara County judge ultimately granted conditional release. The court determined that Los Angeles County was to be Hubbart's place of residence, setting the stage for his potential release to Juniper Hills, south of Pearblossom, in the Antelope Valley.
Christopher Hubbart mugshot in 2014. / Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
"Continuing to release sexually violent predators into underserved communities like the Antelope Valley is both irresponsible and unjust," said District Attorney Gascón. "Repeatedly placing these individuals in the same community shows a blatant disregard for the safety and well-being of our residents. Our deputy district attorneys will persist in opposing Mr. Hubbart’s placement in the Antelope Valley. We must demand more from our judicial system, ensuring decisions serve the best interests of our communities while exploring alternative locations for these placements."
Hubbart, who has acknowledged raping at least 40 women, has been in and out of prisons and state psychiatric hospitals since his first rape conviction in 1972. After serving seven years in prison, he was released and moved to the Bay Area, where he was convicted of another string of sexual assaults in 1983.
In 2017, he was recommitted to Coalinga State Hospital after violating several terms of his conditional release.
"Our Juniper Hills, Pearblossom, and the Antelope Valley residents at large have every right to voice their concerns about this predator's placement in their community," Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose district includes the Antelope Valley, said in a statement.
"While I understand that the state performs a comprehensive study and assessment before proposing a site, nothing takes the place of the real- world perspectives that only community members can offer," she said. "I want to ensure my constituents are kept informed about this process and have every opportunity to weigh in on this decision."
His lockup follows years of uproar and legal wrangling over a judge's order in 2013 to release him from the state psychiatric hospital where he had been civilly committed in 2000 as a sexually dangerous person after serving his prison sentence.
Protests followed his July 2014 arrival at a small house in Lake Los Angeles.
A hearing is scheduled for Oct. 1 to determine where he will be placed.
The LA County District Attorney's office will overview Hubbart's latest conditional release program and background during a meeting Wednesday at the Juniper Hills Community Center, according to a notice shared by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
Members of the public may submit written comments through Sept. 17 to the District Attorney's Office at svpcomments@da.lacounty.gov.
The Associated Press and City News Service contributed to this report.