BORREGO SPRINGS (CNS) — State Sen. Brian Jones, R-Santee, asked a San Diego judge Tuesday to reject the proposed placement of a man classified as a sexually violent predator in a Borrego Springs home.
In a letter to San Diego Superior Court Judge David M. Gill, Jones asked the judge to rule against placing 69-year-old Michael Martinez at a home located at 3406 Running M Road.
Gill will oversee a hearing next month regarding Martinez's placement there, which was proposed earlier this year by state hospital officials.
Martinez is classified as a sexually violent predator, a designation for those convicted of sexually violent offenses and diagnosed with a mental disorder that makes them likely to re-offend. After serving their prison sentences, SVPs may undergo treatment at state hospitals, but may also petition courts to continue treatment in supervised outpatient locations.
According to the San Diego County District Attorney's Office, Martinez was convicted in four separate cases between 1979 and 2004 for offenses that occurred in San Diego and Los Angeles counties. The crimes for which he was convicted include child molestation, annoying/molesting a child, lewd or lascivious acts upon a child under 14 and annoying a child under 18, according to the DA's office.
Jones wrote in his letter that he has "received a number of concerns from my constituents" regarding Martinez's placement. Jones wrote that the Running M Road home is located within three miles of elementary and middle schools.
"It is clear that Mr. Martinez has been capable of unspeakable crimes in the past, and that the proposed placement in Borrego Springs is wholly inappropriate," he wrote.
A July 8 court hearing has been scheduled regarding the merits of the placement location, during which members of the public are typically allowed to make comments to the court regarding the suitability of the placement. That 10 a.m. hearing will be held at the downtown San Diego courthouse.
Public comments may also be submitted until Wednesday to the SAFE Task Force, a regional law enforcement team that monitors and enforces sex offender registration laws in the county.
Comments can be submitted via email to sdsafe@sdsheriff.org; by calling 858-495-3619; or mailing a statement to SVP Release/SAFE Task Force, 9425 Chesapeake Drive, San Diego, CA 92123.
