Northridge kidnapping: Supervisor Antonovich blasts realignment

This post has been corrected. See the note at the bottom for details.

As the investigation into a 10-year-old Northridge girl’s kidnapping and sexual assault continued, an L.A. County supervisor criticized the so-called realignment program which transfers authority of some felons from state prisons to county jails.

The circumstances of Tobias Dustin Summers’ July 2012 release from custody were not clear. Police said Saturday that the 30-year-old had a criminal history dating back to 2002 that includes charges of kidnapping, robbery, explosives possession and petty theft.

LAPD officials said he was released from custody under realignment.

The law, which went into effect in October 2011, was intended to reduce overcrowding in state prisons.

Summers is not a registered sex offender, but authorities said he was arrested on suspicion of battery in 2009 in a case that involved child annoyance.

LAPD Deputy Chief Kirk Albanese said Summers had been taken into custody Jan. 13 for a probation violation and was released Jan. 19, but he did not elaborate on the violation.

Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, a staunch critic of realignment, issued a statement Monday calling on Gov. Jerry Brown to “take the proper steps” and convene a special legislative session to “repeal this reckless program.”

“The governor’s failed realignment program is a proven threat to public safety which has overwhelmed probation departments and local law enforcement agencies,” the statement read.

Authorities have not explained how their investigation led to Summers. Authorities initially said two men were suspected of taking the girl from her Northridge home but said Saturday that Summers was the primary focus of their investigation.

He remained at large Monday.

Sources told The Times on Monday that investigators were still trying to determine why the girl was targeted. At the moment, they said, they do not believe it was related to a 2008 international child abduction involving her relatives.

Authorities have said the girl’s mother noticed her daughter was missing from her bedroom at about 3:40 a.m. Wednesday. She was found nearly 12 hours later, in a parking lot some six miles away from her home.

The girl had cuts and bruises, some to her face. Sources later told The Times she had been sexually assaulted.

The girl was initially identified by The Times, citing authorities, after she went missing. However, it is the policy of The Times not to identify victims in cases of alleged sexual crimes.

[For the record, 2:55 p.m., April 1: A previous version of this post incorrectly stated that Summers was released Jan. 16.]

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kate.mather@latimes.com

andrew.blankstein@latimes.com