Outrage grows as ‘Pillowcase Rapist’ is set to be released into LA County

Angry Los Angeles residents say they will “scream and fight” until convicted “pillowcase rapist” Christopher Hubbart is removed from their community or returned to prison.

Hubbart, who has admitted to raping and sexually assaulting about 40 women in California, will be released next month in the small town of Juniper Hills, about an hour’s drive north of Los Angeles, after a judge granted him “parole.”

Last year, a Santa Clara County Superior Court judge ruled that Hubbart could be released under certain conditions and ordered the Hospitals Department to begin looking for housing.

According to the program, Hubbart will be released and return to the area where he committed the crimes, in this case the Antelope Valley area.

Now shocked residents say they plan to chase the convicted rapist from their neighborhood.

“You can’t change someone like that,” said Cheryl Holbrook, a resident of the city.

“He must be put in the middle of the desert, at least 100 miles away from anyone, otherwise he will rape again.”

“The only thing that can stop him now is complete isolation.”

Hubbart’s long history of predatory behavior dates back to the early 1970s. As he raped and sexually assaulted the women, he used a pillow to cover their faces, prosecutors said.

In 1972, he was sent to a state hospital after being convicted of sexual abuse in the Pomona and San Gabriel valleys.

He was eventually released in 1979, but was arrested again for attacks in the Bay Area and sent to prison for eight years, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Two months after his release, he was back in custody after sexually assaulting a jogger from behind, pressing his hand over her mouth and grabbing her breasts, court documents show.

He was released in 1990, but was arrested again for another attack and was subsequently sentenced to prison until 1996.

Before he was released, prosecutors in Santa Clara asked a judge to commit Hubbart to a psychiatric facility under California’s new sexually violent predator law.

The 1996 law gave the state the ability to lock up violent sex offenders in state hospitals if they have a mental disorder that makes them likely to reoffend.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Hubbart was the first person detained under the new law.

But in 2014, Hubbart was deemed eligible for release and was ordered to live in a small desert cabin in Lake Los Angeles, just outside Palmdale.

He was required to attend therapy sessions twice a week and was closely monitored through the Liberty Conditional Release Program.

But residents of the small desert neighborhood were determined to drive the convicted rapist out of town.

Holbook and others formed a group called Ladies of Lake LA and led the fight to approach local politicians about their plight. They attended hearings and even went so far as to set up camp on a lot next to the dilapidated house where Hubbart lived.

Holbrook said she and other neighbors spent weeks yelling at Hubbart through bullhorns.

They posted signs demanding he leave the area and even pressured the water company to stop supplying water to the house.

Now the group mobilizes again to prevent Hubbart from settling in nearby Juniper Hills.

“The last time he lived here, we were determined to fight it,” Holbrook said. “We plan to do it again.

“We’re going to find out where he lives and we’re going to be out there every night yelling at him through megaphones to let him know he’s not wanted here.”

A hearing has been scheduled for October 1, where a judge will decide exactly where Hubbart should live.

According to researchers, he targeted women between the ages of 20 and 30 and sometimes sought out children’s toys, as mothers were more likely to cooperate with him for the safety of their children.

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said he opposed Hubbart’s release.

“It is irresponsible and unjust to continue to release sexually violent predators into underserved communities like Antelope Valley,” Gascón said in a statement.

“By repeatedly placing these individuals in the same community, we demonstrate a blatant disregard for the safety and well-being of our residents.

“Our deputy district attorneys will continue to oppose Mr. Hubbart’s placement in the Antelope Valley.

“We need to be more demanding of our justice system, ensure that decisions are made in the best interests of our communities, and at the same time explore alternative locations for these placements.”

Antelope Valley residents were scheduled to gather at the Juniper Hill Community Center Wednesday evening to voice their concerns.

“We will continue to fight this because he does not belong in this community,” Holbook said.