Sexually violent predator slated to live in Aptos beach house

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KRON) — A sexually violent predator is slated to be released from custody and live in a house close to Santa Cruz County beaches.

Convicted rapist Michael Thomas Cheek completed a decades-long prison sentence, as well as a sex offender treatment program in 2019. Since then, state officials have struggled to find a suitable place for Cheek to live.

A new potential home address for Cheek was revealed by the district attorney’s office on Thursday: 204 Forest Drive in Aptos, near Rio Del Mar Beach and a mile from Seacliff State Beach.

Cheek, 72, is originally from Concord. He attacked and raped a 21-year-old-woman on Seabright Beach in Santa Cruz in 1980. Cheek escaped from custody in 1981 and raped a 15-year-old girl at gunpoint. He has served 43 years in state prisons and hospitals.

Sheriff Jim Hart previously said, “Cheek’s only connection to our county is that he committed a vicious sexual assault in Santa Cruz. He has never lived here, nor does he have any other community ties.”

Judge Nancy De La Pena will preside over a hearing on October 18 and make a ruling for the Aptos housing placement. The Forest Drive address was chosen by Liberty Healthcare of California, Inc. and the Department of State Hospitals.

According to the real estate website Zillow , 204 Forest Drive is a one-bedroom home that sold in 2021 for $704,500. The Zillow listing states, “Here’s the Beach House you’ve been waiting for.” Last year it was listed for rent at $3,100 per month.

Liberty Healthcare manages community supervision programs for sexually violent predators who are released from custody. The company’s website states, “Our services include specialized treatment, risk assessments, re-entry programming, and case management supervision. These services form a unique continuum of care that promotes self responsibility and reduces risk of reoffending.”

Three years ago, Cheek made a failed bid to live in a house in Bonny Doon , a tight-knit community in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Assistant District Attorney Alex Byers said at the time, “Mr. Cheek is a career sex criminal. He kidnaps children. He has a mental illness that predisposes him to commit sexually violent offenses.” Following an outcry from community members and an appeal filed by the district attorney, the Bonny Doon housing plan fell apart.

Judge De La Pena will not allow Aptos community members to speak at the October court hearing. The district attorney’s office said members of the public can write letters to the judge via email at criminalinfo@santacruzcourt.org.

Timeline of Michael Cheek’s Incarceration

1980: Michael Cheek was convicted of kidnapping, rape, and forcible oral copulation in Santa Cruz County.

1981: He was sentenced to prison but escaped from a jail facility in Contra Costa County. Cheek committed another rape, this time of a 15-year-old child in Lake County. He was later re-captured and re-sentenced.

1997: When his prison term ended, the Santa Cruz County District Attorney successfully petitioned to have him declared a sexually violent predator (SVP) under the Sexually Violent Predator Act. Cheek was committed to the California Department of State Hospitals for sex offender treatment and remained in custody.

Early 2019: The Department of State Hospitals deemed Cheek as an appropriate SVP candidate to be released back into society. Judge Stephen Seigel ordered Cheek to be released somewhere in Santa Cruz County.

Late 2019: Judge Syda Cogliati approved placing Cheek at 310 Wild Iris Lane in Bonny Doon. Sheriff Hart said he was outraged by Cogliati’s ruling.

The judge received nearly 1,000 letters from residents urging her against releasing Cheek into Bonny Doon. Parents who live on Wild Iris Lane said their children would no longer be able to walk to their school bus stop safely. DA Rosell filed an appeal with the Sixth District Court to overrule Cogliati’s decision.

2023: The state appeals court rejected the Bonny Doon plan. Judge Cogliati also denied Cheek’s request to be released without a home, also known as “transient release.”

June of 2024: Liberty Healthcare of California, Inc. and the Department of State Hospitals recommended that Cheek be placed at 204 Forest Drive in Aptos.

October of 2024: Judge Nancy De La Pena will preside over a hearing to determine if 204 Forest Drive is an appropriate placed for Cheek to live. Members of the public can write letters to the judge via email at criminalinfo@santacruzcourt.org, or via mail at Superior Court, 701 Ocean Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060. All comments must be submitted by September 24.

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