The conditional release of Gary Snavely, deemed a sexually violent predator, was further delayed this week after the owner of a proposed property in Julian revoked the housing offer.
Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Fraser on Friday denied the defendant’s request to be released without a fixed residence, known as transient release.
It is unclear why the housing offer was revoked.
Snavely, who was convicted in 1987 of molesting two young girls, was ordered to be conditionally released in 2022 under the state program that allows people deemed to be sexually violent predators, or SVPs, to be discharged from civil commitment to permanent housing after meeting certain criteria and the successful completion of a treatment program.
Those who are conditionally released are monitored and continue to receive treatment.
But locating permanent residences for SVPs has proved difficult as potential homes must meet certain standards and placements are often met with community pushback.
In locating the prospective home in Julian for Snavely, Fraser noted, the health care organization that administers the program conducted more than 4,000 property searches over two years.
A hearing set for Friday could have served as finalization of the release. Instead, after revocation of the housing offer, the hearing focused on whether Snavely should be released without a permanent home.
Releases of SVPs without a fixed residence have been termed transient releases as the SVP could move from one approved location to another as needed. Tents and RVs are also considered for people released under these circumstances.
In recent months, two other sexually violent predators, Alvin Quarles, dubbed the “bolder than most” rapist, and Merle Wakefield have been released into San Diego County without permanent residences.
But on Friday, Fraser denied Snavely’s release without a permanent residence as representatives from Liberty Healthcare noted that another potential housing lead had been located.
An additional hearing was scheduled for May.
Fraser said that he did not believe Snavely’s due process was being violated by the delay, despite his release being ordered more than two years prior, and that a transient release was “not in his best interest.”
Prior to the hearing, Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, a Republican who represents communities in East County, including Julian, held a news conference in front of the courthouse highlighting a bill he introduced in December that would block the release of SVPs into areas zoned for residential use.
DeMaio had originally planned to “call on Fraser to use existing legal authority to block placement of Snavely on an interim basis.”
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