'Pillowcase Rapist' to be released from state hospital to live in Los Angeles County

LOS ANGELES (TCN) -- Authorities recently announced that a sexually violent predator will be released from his incarceration at a state hospital and relocated to Los Angeles County.

According to a Sept. 4 news release from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Christopher Hubbart will be released from the Department of State Hospitals and he’ll appear for a hearing in October to determine his placement. Despite objections from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, in March 2023, the Santa Clara County Superior Court approved the conditional release of Hubbart, allowing him to return to Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles County Superior Court will be responsible for making the final decision as to where Hubbart is placed. Following the court’s decision, the Department of State Hospitals and Liberty Healthcare, a health and human services management company, began looking into suitable housing.

According to Los Angeles County prosecutors, before Hubbart’s release, the Santa Clara District Attorney’s Office "sought his civil commitment as a 'Sexually Violent Predator' under the Sexually Violent Predator Act, resulting in his commitment to the Department of State Hospitals in 2000."

Hubbart, also known as the "Pillowcase Rapist," was convicted in 1973, 1982, and 1990 in Los Angeles and Santa Clara counties for multiple rapes and sex crime offenses.

In a news release from the Lancaster Station of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, authorities said Hubbart was previously released from state custody in 2014. He was transported to the Lancaster Sheriff’s Station, where he registered as a sex offender and was reportedly sent to a court-ordered home in Lake Los Angeles. KTLA-TV reports that a judge revoked his conditional release two years later, and he was sent back to custody at a mental health hospital.

In a statement obtained by KTLA, then-Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey said, "Christopher Hubbart is a prolific serial rapist and even after years of treatment he remains a danger to women."

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón criticized the most recent release decision, stating, "Continuing to release sexually violent predators into underserved communities like the Antelope Valley is both irresponsible and unjust. Repeatedly placing these individuals in the same community shows a blatant disregard for the safety and well-being of our residents."