THE REGION : Glendora Joins Demand for Notification of Release of Felons

Glendora has joined four other San Gabriel Valley cities in calling for a change in state law to require prison officials to notify elected city officials about the release of violent or sexually violent felons into their communities.

Demands for changes in the law were sparked by the planned release in November, 1994, of convicted rapist Reginald Muldrew into the city of Covina. Muldrew, who was convicted of eight rapes, was believed responsible for as many as 200 other sex crimes, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Tom Falls, who is also a Covina City Council member.

Muldrew was eventually denied parole after failing a pre-release psychiatric test. Similarly, convicted serial rapist Christopher Hubbart had been scheduled for release into Claremont in March, 1994, until a last-minute psychiatric examination kept him incarcerated. Hubbart now faces a parole hearing in April. Even if he is released, Hubbart can’t be sent to Claremont, where he has family, because one of his victims lives within a short distance.

On March 14, the Glendora City Council unanimously approved a resolution seeking to require state prison officials to notify the city’s elected officials of the release of a violent felon into the city.

Other cities that have asked for a change in the law are Covina, La Habra, La Verne and Monrovia. The County Board of Supervisors has also thrown its support behind the proposed changes.

“For the most part, everyone I know supports this,” said Glendora Police Chief Paul Butler.

The state now notifies police departments of cities in which dangerous felons are scheduled for release--but not elected officials.

State Sen. Richard Mountjoy (R-Arcadia) has introduced legislation amending state law to widen the required notifications. Mountjoy’s bill is scheduled to be heard April 18 in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Falls said Covina did not learn of Muldrew’s release until a state parole officer inquired with the city police department about a place for Muldrew to stay after his release from prison. Covina Police Chief John Lentz immediately notified the council about Muldrew’s pending release from prison.