Remote surveillance trailer in Antelope, CA

A registered sex offender recently moved to Antelope, sparking concern among residents and prompting the sheriff's office to notify neighbors.

ANTELOPE, Calif. — The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office was out in full force in Antelope Wednesday after reports that a sexually violent predator who recently moved to the area was acting suspicious.

Law enforcement was going door-to-door on Big Cloud Way making sure neighbors knew about Robert Singleton.

“He is not on probation or parole, however, in 1994, he was convicted of numerous sex crimes against children,” said Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Jeff Finch.

The sheriff’s office says Singleton was released from prison by the Department of State Hospitals with the condition he has to let the sheriff’s office know where he’s living every 90 days.

Singleton told ABC10 he moved to a home on Big Cloud Way three months ago to be with his family.

“I already did my time … I served my time, I’m not messing with anybody,” Singleton said.

But the Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement (SAFE) Team says they witnessed behavior from him raising their level of concern.

“(He) came out right before school got dismissed, watched kids walk by after school dismissal and then went right back inside,” said Sgt. Amar Gandhi.

Singleton’s residence is less than half a block from North Creek Elementary and the playground can be seen from the middle of the street.

He says deputies knocked on his door but didn’t show him the flyer or tell him they were speaking to neighbors.

“Society downgrades us and all that. A person serves his time, it should be over,” Singleton said. "I’m not doing any harm.”

Neighbor and mother Erica Smith had no idea she was living across the street from a registered sex offender and says she will stay vigilant moving forward.

“Obviously, we are going to make our daughter aware, and we are going to have to let any parents of her friends know that there is someone across the street we have to keep an eye on,” Smith said.

The California Supreme Court overturned residency restrictions for registered sex offenders under Jessica’s Law back in 2015. The sheriff’s office says anyone harassing or intimidating Singleton can face penalties.

The Center Joint Unified School District released the following statement:

Dear CJUSD Families,

We wanted to let you know that the Sacramento Sheriff’s Office contacted us today to inform us that a registered sexual predator was recently released from the CA Department of State Hospitals. He is now residing in Antelope.

The notification is not intended to create fear; the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office believes “that an informed public is a safer public."

We remain diligent about our students' safety and ask that all families keep their eyes open and report any suspicious behavior to the Sheriff’s Office at SAFE@sacsheriff.com. In case of emergency, call 911.

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ANTELOPE, Calif. —

Sacramento County's Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement Task Force (SAFE Team) took Wednesday to go door-to-door handing out flyers warning about the release of a sexually violent predator in Antelope.

In 1994, 65-year-old Robert Earl Singleton was convicted of numerous sex crimes against children.

Today, he shared that he's been living with family members at a home on Big Cloud Way for the last three months.

But the concern lies in the 600 feet distance between where he lives and North Country Elementary School, which has over 500 students enrolled in K-6 grades.

Despite being a registered sex offender in California, in 2015, the state's Supreme Court ruled that blanket residency restrictions such as living within 2,000 feet of schools and parks where children gather were unconstitutional, due to the limiting ability of registered sex offenders to find stable housing.

This means that residency restrictions for parolees are applied on a case-by-case basis.

"I wasn't aware that there was a law overturned. I figured that since we were kind of close to the school. Obviously, they're around but I wasn't aware that they were that close, and across the street is pretty jarring," said Erica Smith after speaking to members of the SAFE Team.

Another Antelope mother shared similar concerns.

"People should be aware of this kind of stuff. They should definitely have more information to be able to look this up or at least have some kind of notification on their phone that somebody who has done this is in such close proximity," she said.

Today's operation was focused on keeping residents in the area informed and safe.

"While they were out there doing their regular stuff, they actually saw him during school dismissal because he lives very close to a school over there. [He] came outside right before school got dismissed, watched kids walk by after school dismissal, and then went right back inside," shared Sergeant Amar Gandhi with the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office.

But 30 years since his conviction, Singleton told KCRA that this kind of operation in the neighborhood is unfair, reminding people he's already served his time. "I've been down a long time. I mean, I've been down 30 years. I've seen all this stuff on TV – how society downgrades us. A person serves their time, and it should be over."

Singleton has lifetime sex offender registration and has to alert authorities where he lives every 90 days.

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Red signs dot Pearblossom Highway, marking part of the route sexual predator Christopher Hubbart probably will take when he moves into the Antelope Valley in the near future.

The signs — featuring graphics of two pairs of hands and the phrase, “We need your help!” — were placed by advocate Mary Jeters and a group of local residents still fighting Hubbart’s court-ordered placement in their community.

“I’ve had a few people ask why we’re doing this after the judge’s decision, and it’s because this fight isn’t over,” Jeters said. “We want to push to stop the further encroachment of sexual predators.”

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Oct. 5, 2024

Two weeks ago, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Robert Harrison ruled that Hubbart, known as the “Pillowcase Rapist” for his brutal sexual assaults on women in the 1980s and ‘90s, would be placed into the small community of Juniper Hills.

Jeters and her group, No SVP’s in the Antelope Valley, are hosting a rally Saturday at the Juniper Hills Community Center beginning at noon. They have two stated goals: bring awareness to sexually violent predators being “dumped” in the area, and prevent it from happening again.

Jeters said local representatives, including Palmdale’s mayor and City Council, are expected to attend, along with a few hundred residents.

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This is the second time Hubbart has been placed in the Antelope Valley. In 2014, he was housed in the Lake Los Angeles area near Palmdale under a conditional release program. He lived there for two years before he was remanded back to Coalinga State Hospital after violating the terms of his release.

His placement then was fiercely contested by protesters, who later celebrated his return to custody.

California

Oct. 19, 2024

In 2021, an L.A. County Superior Court judge released convicted sex offender Calvin Lynn Grassmier into the town of Littlerock, despite local opposition. Lawtis Donald Rhoden, who sexually assaulted multiple underage girls, was placed that same year in an unincorporated area near Lancaster.

In the case of Grassmier, residents protested upon his arrival in September 2021. Some wore masks of Heath Ledger’s depiction of the Joker with exaggerated bloody smiles and held signs reading, “Sexually violent predator not welcome here!!!” and “Keep our community safe from SVPs.”

Cynthia Farrow lives directly across from Grassmier and said she monitors when he attempts to leave the property, even when taking out the trash or checking the mail.

“I scream at him to ‘get over to your side,’” said Farrow, who lives with her husband, Gary. “These are violent individuals who make our homes and neighborhoods much less safe.”

Jeters and Farrow said they will consider similar protests whenever Hubbart is moved into Juniper Hills.

Until then, Jeters is attending court hearings regarding the terms of Hubbart’s release.

“We’re going to continue to monitor and fight,” Jeters said. “Even if it seems like us screaming into the wind, we’ll be out there.”