(KRON) -- State authorities are considering releasing a convicted rapist, Michael Thomas Cheek, from a mental hospital and placing him in a Los Gatos home nestled in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The now-74-year-old inmate may be placed at 25237 Terrace Grove Road, in a remote area off Soquel San Jose Road, according to Sheriff Chris Clark.
Cheek is originally from Concord, and he is classified as a sexually violent predator (SVP) for crimes he committed in Santa Cruz County in the early 1980s. On October 30, Superior Court Judge Nancy De La Pena will preside over a hearing listening to arguments for and against the proposed Los Gatos home placement.
Michael Thomas Cheek
Clark said he "strongly" opposes housing Cheek at that location. "The concerns are specific and serious. The home is surrounded by dense forest and steep terrain. Schools, a Girl Scout Camp, a church, a public park, and neighborhoods where families live are also nearby," Sheriff Clark wrote.
In 1980, Cheek raped a young woman at gunpoint on Seabright Beach. A year later, he escaped from custody in Contra Costa County and raped a 15-year-old girl at gunpoint.
The sheriff said, if Cheek re-offends and deputies are sent in to find him, unreliable cellular service and spotty GPS coverage in the mountains could hinder a swift law enforcement response. Clark added, "narrow roads, abandoned structures, and recreational vehicles in the area could further complicate a search or apprehension."
Cheek served decades in prison, completed a sex offender treatment program at a locked psychiatric facility in 2019, and was given a green light to move into a house where he would be monitored. A judge, however, must approve the proposed home address before the SVP inmate can be released from custody and move in.
Clark said he is urging the court to reject 25237 Terrace Grove Road. "As someone who calls Santa Cruz County home and raising my family here, I understand how deeply this news affects all of us throughout the county," the sheriff wrote.
Multiple attempts by state authorities to released Cheek under supervision in the county have triggered public outrage and failed within the past five years.
A plan to place Michael Cheek at this house in Bonny Doon failed in 2021. (KRON4 Photo)
Previously proposed -- and failed -- home placement attempts were located at 310 Wild Iris Lane in Bonny Doon and next to the beach at 204 Forest Drive in Aptos.
Sheriff Clark said community members can submit their concerns about the new Los Gatos plan by emailing the court at SVP@scdao.us before Oct. 30. The judge will read written comments submitted through email. "Your voice matters" the sheriff's office wrote.
The October 30 hearing will begin at 1:30 p.m. in Department 6 of the Santa Cruz County courthouse with Judge De La Pena presiding.
