The Antelope Valley Times

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Officials upset with placement of sexually violent predator in Antelope Valley

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Lawtis Donald Rhoden [Image via Megan’s Law website]
LANCASTER – Elected officials are speaking out against a judge’s decision to allow a sexually violent predator to reside in the Antelope Valley.

Lawtis Rhoden, 72, was either convicted or pleaded guilty to multiple child rapes and other sexual assaults in Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties and Nashville, Tennessee, beginning in 1969.

He was committed to California’s Department of State Hospitals after spending nearly 20 years in state prison. The Orange County Superior Court found him suitable for supervised release in 2019, setting off a long process in which officials worked to find a location for him to reside amid predictable opposition from residents and politicians.

Orange County Superior Court Judge Megan Wagner ruled Friday, Dec. 3, that Rhoden will be placed in the Antelope Valley under supervised release.

“With this ruling, Judge Wagner has made a decision that blatantly dismissed the concerns voiced by the community. I am frustrated and feel the concerns of my constituents fell on deaf ears,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said.

“It’s no secret — the Antelope Valley is being targeted for placements of sexually violent predators due to its rural nature. The current geography meets the legal requirements. But, children and families are the ones who will bear the true burden of the court’s decisions,” Barger continued. “This community deserves to feel safe and secure in their homes and in their neighborhoods. I am still hopeful that this decision will be reversed through the efforts of our county’s district attorney, who plans to file an appeal of this decision.”

State Sen. Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, said Lancaster has 426 registered sex offenders, or one for every 373 residents, which he called unfair for its residents.

“Today’s ruling is appalling and a slap in the face to the hard- working families living in the Antelope Valley who shared their concerns with the court. This is the second sexually violent predator to be foisted upon the families in my district in the last few months — a dangerous trend that completely disregards the concerns and safety of the community,” Wilk said. “The continued placement of sexually violent predators like Rhoden in this one area of L.A County is absolutely wrong and so unfair to the families in this working-class family-oriented community.”

Rhoden will be under the care of the state-funded company Liberty Healthcare once he is released. The proposed placement address for Rhoden is 48040 25th Street East.

Previous related story: Local residents urged to fight placement of sexually violent predator in Lancaster

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25 comments for "Officials upset with placement of sexually violent predator in Antelope Valley"

  1. That is one reason why I moved out of the antelope valley, I lived in Littlerock California. Being a child of a molester, you think I want to be around people like that. And then you have these families with kids living down the street from these predators. I think not I think they need to move these predators in the same neighborhood as he’s elected judges and officials, let them deal with them.

  4. Lawtis Rhoden, a child rapist, has preyed on the most vulnerable, innocents in our society. There are many Lawtis Rhoden’s, and there are the usual idiots that politicize every crime committed in America. This is not a crime committed by politicians, you ignorant fools.

    • Weird. In one sentence you complain about “politicizing every crime,” and in the next you seem to be defending the politicians that are pointed out in this article about politicizing the placement of this criminal. You seem conflicted.

  5. It is so tiresome watching our republican representatives wailing and gnashing their teeth about this when they are as responsible for it as anyone. Political stuntsmanship. They don’t make any effort to stop it, they just look forward to their misinformed faithful remembering how they wailed and continue to support them. ProTip: kick these lames out and elect representatives that aren’t powerless peons who are stuck at the kids table when decisions are made.

    • The sexual predators do less longlasting harm then the Republican representatives McCarthy and Garcia.

      • That is the most ridiculous statement I have seen in a long time. William, I am very disappointed. You make many good points on the AV Times, but this is terrible.

        • Meh. As far as I have heard none of the sexual predators assigned to supervised “release” programs in the AV has ever been charged with any crime while under such supervision, so other than all the hand wringing and political opportunism I dunno that there has been much harm at all. On the other hand, the insurrectionists McCarthy and Garcia should be removed from office and imprisoned for their crimes, so sure they’ve done a lot more damage. I wouldn’t have worded it so bluntly, but William is accurate enough here.

      • It has absolutely nothing to do with “caring about children.” That should be so totally obvious that I genuinely don’t know how to make it any simpler for you.

        • LOL…you think insults are stronger in a second language? ProTip: if you want to get under my skin you have to earn some respect first. When you just make up some screen name out of the blue that isn’t gonna cut it, and when you obviously so weak that you can’t even do that and are just coat tailing on my screen name you have no shot at all. Even your fellow haters are looking at that and thinking that you are just lame.

        • Politicizing sexual violent criminals’ actions are absolutely woefully ignorant or willfully obtuse, Tim, Bill, and all the others along your political divide.

          • Republicans are this country’s worst enemy as of late.

            They are outraged and vent at school board meetings fighting against kids wearing masks but are silent when it comes to school massacres. Isn’t that so, LCR.

            Their resistence to vaccines and wearing masks is killing thousands of people unnecessarily especially in the orange Trumper states.

            But, of course, Republicans use masks and vaccines to distract you, don’t they?

            As an aside, Marjorie Taylor Greene has amassed $14 million by shooting her mouth off and doing nothing in Congress. That’s more than any other House member.

            The decent Republicans aren’t getting much money, and many are quitting. leaving the crazy ones to do more damage.

            What’s going on in Congress is worse for the country (we are part of the country) than immigrants, married gays, sexual predators and so on.

            Republicans including our Kevin and Mike are doing real damage to this country and are planning on doing more.

      • But they do!! That’s why they are not showing all the children in detention camps on the border. The camps Obama/ Biden built. Now overrun with children and no parents…libs always care !

    • @timscott also, you can’t give pro tips as an amateur keyboard warrior , get active , get elected , turn pro, then you can give pro tips. Lol, so self absorbed it’s ridiculous.

      • How “active” do you think I need to get?

        How many campaigns have YOU been a part of? As a volunteer? How about for pay? How many city councils have you addressed? How many by invitation?

        If you wanna compare notes we can meet any time. But of course you won’t.

        Pro tip: put up or shut up.

          • I bet dollars to donuts that Tim is around the AV more than a certain mayor of a city that is spending $10 million dollars on a worthless Eye in the Sky……..

      • “missed spelled”? LOL. Not “misspelled”? Good one if you were being sarcsatic.

        If not: “He who lives in glass houses…….”