Sheriff opposes proposal to house convicted rapist Michael Cheek in Santa Cruz Mountains

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — The Santa Cruz County sheriff voiced opposition over a proposal to house a man twice convicted of rape in the early 1980s in the Santa Cruz Mountains Wednesday.

The location, 25237 Terrace Grove Road in the Santa Cruz County area of Los Gatos, is a remote area in the Santa Cruz Mountains off Soquel San Jose Road, which is the basis of Sheriff Chris Clark’s concerns.

Clark said the home’s remote location surrounded by dense forest, steep terrain and limited road access, coupled with unreliable cellular service and GPS coverage could interfere with electronic monitoring, communication and timely law enforcement response for Michael Cheek, who has been designated a sexually violent predator. Narrow roads, abandoned structures and recreational vehicles in the area could also pose complications for searches or apprehension, he said.

“As sheriff, I have a responsibility to inform our community and the Court when a proposed placement raises foreseeable public safety concerns,” Clark said in a media release. “As someone who calls Santa Cruz County home and raising my family here, I understand how deeply this news affects all of us throughout the county.”

Additionally, Clark flagged that the home is in the area of schools like Loma Prieta Elementary School, a Girl Scout camp, a church, a public park and neighborhoods where families live. Routes to and from the home pass by places where children and families regularly gather, Clark said.

The proposal comes after more than five years of unsuccessful attempts from the California Department of State Hospitals to house Cheek in a variety of counties following his release from receiving psychological treatment from the agency. Most recently, the cities of Santa Cruz and Watsonville opposed a proposal to house Cheek in a Watsonville or Santa Cruz hotel.

Cheek, previously a Concord resident, received a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted of abducting and sexually assaulting a 21-year-old visitor to Seabright State Beach in 1980.

Following his conviction in Santa Cruz County, Cheek was transported to the Contra Costa County Jail for vehicle theft charges in a separate case. However, Cheek escaped custody and fled to Lake County, where he was later convicted of raping a 15-year-old girl.

Cheek remained in prison from 1981 to 1997 and waived his right to a trial seeking unsupervised release, instead requesting to be sent to a psychiatric facility for treatment. He was later deemed by a court to be a sexually violent predator under the 1998 Sexually Violent Predator Act, allowing sex offenders to be involuntarily committed to hospitals after completing their prison sentence if they are determined to be at risk.

After residing in a state hospital for rehabilitation, now-retired Santa Cruz County Judge Stephen Siegel granted Cheek a conditional release in 2019 to begin receiving supervised outpatient treatment, leading to his string of housing proposals.

Cheek has never lived in Santa Cruz County before prison, Clark said, adding that he has no known family or support network in the area, a reason he cited as he urged the Santa Cruz County Court to reject the current proposal.

“Mr. Cheek committed crimes in Santa Cruz County. That does not mean the people he harmed, or the community where those crimes occurred, should be asked to carry the risk of his placement here,” Clark said. “For survivors of sexual violence, this proposal may bring painful memories back into their daily lives. For families living near the proposed home, it raises serious safety concerns.”

The proposed placement is scheduled to face court approval before Santa Cruz County Judge Nancy De La Peña Oct. 30 at 1:30 p.m. in Department 6. Community members who wish to provide written input may send comments prior to Oct. 30 to [email protected] or by mail to SVP Unit, c/o Santa Cruz District Attorney’s Office, 701 Ocean St., Room 200, Santa Cruz, CA 95060.