CLAREMONT -- A man who admitted to raping nearly 40 women throughout California is set to be released from prison.
Christopher Evans Hubbart was granted a conditional release from custody by Santa Clara County Judge Gilbert Brown in May. Hubbart is an inmate at the Coalinga State Mental Health Hospital in Central California.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey said in a news release Tuesday that her office will file a writ challenging the court's ruling to release Hubbart in Los Angeles County.
"Our ultimate goal is to seek justice for all residents of Los Angeles County and make sure sexually violent predators remain in custody," Lacey said in the release. "This inmate has a long history of horrific violence against women, and we must act to keep our community safe."
Hubbart was born in Pasadena in 1951 and lived there until his family moved in 1957 to Claremont.
State law requires inmates conditionally released to be placed back to their homes of record prior to incarceration unless extraordinary circumstances require placement elsewhere. Hubbart's last known address was Claremont.
Judge Brown has set a court date of Friday in Santa Clara County Superior Court to assess the progress of Liberty Healthcare Corporation in finding Hubbart appropriate housing. LHC, the contractor for the Department of State Hospitals, was assigned to locate housing and treatment for Hubbart.
Claremont's city manager and chief of police are still looking into the matter, according to Mayor Opanyi Nasiali.
"As soon as we know more, we'll make the public aware of all we know," Nasiali said.
Authorities say Hubbart began raping women in 1968 throughout San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties.
He was convicted in 1972 of raping 14 women, according to court records. After being paroled in 1983, Hubbart raped a woman on the day of his release, records show.
Authorities say he raped nine more women in the San Jose area that year before he was apprehended and returned to prison.
He was again released in 1990, but returned to custody a short time later after he took a person hostage, court records show.
Hubbart admitted to authorities he raped nearly 40 women throughout the state between 1971 and 1983, including 26 in Los Angeles County, according to records.
He is a threat to public safety, L.A. County 5th District Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich said in a news release.
"Based on his criminal history, the state's planned release of this predator into our communities will create a very serious public safety threat," Antonovich said.
Lacey asked the 6th District Court of Appeal in San Jose on Tuesday to compel the lower court to vacate its order granting Hubbart's conditional release into the county, according to the news release.
She also plans to ask the court to stop Hubbart's release from state custody until the trial court reconsiders.
"If these crimes were committed today, this inmate's release would not be in question," Lacey said. "Today's violent sexual predators face life in prison."
Lacey has already advised her staff to notify Hubbart's victims of his possible pending release. ___
(c)2013 the San Bernardino County Sun (San Bernardino, Calif.)
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