Four Arrested After Sex Offender Sweep
Members of a Riverside County law enforcement task force made house calls on more than 170 convicted sex offenders in Perris to confirm they were complying with their registration requirements, leading to the arrests of four men, authorities said today.
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The county’s Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement team, comprised of sheriff’s personnel and District Attorney’s Office investigators, spent most of Wednesday conducting random checks throughout the 92570 ZIP code, according to Michael Jeandron, a District Attorney’s Office public information officer.
The task force went to 172 addresses listed as the residences of sex registrants, making face-to-face contact with 40 percent of the ex-convicts, Jeandron said.
Under California Penal Code Section 290, anyone convicted of a sexual offense is required to register their home address with local law enforcement. Registrants must renew their status every year and notify authorities within five days of relocating.
Taken into custody for suspected parole violations were Ted Auguston, 55; Ray Blaylock, 59; Robert Gallardo, 59; and Mark Ponce, 44, Jeandron said.
A half-dozen individuals were not at the addresses they registered under, and the Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement team will conduct follow-up investigations to “locate and arrest those six sex offenders,” Jeandron said.
“This operation was … intended to impress upon the registrants the necessity of keeping their registration records current and to reinforce that law enforcement officials are actively monitoring their compliance,” Jeandron said.
The Board of Supervisors last month approved a new system to assist county residents with keeping track of sex registrants. The Sexual Predator Identification in Riverside County Via Internet Tracking program will provide residents with email alerts whenever a registrant moves into their neighborhood.
The District Attorney’s Office will also maintain an online map depicting where registrants are living.
Some 3,300 convicted sex offenders reside in the county. Sexual predator identification system is expected to operating before year’s end.
