One of the seven high-level sex offenders released from prison in California has been rearrested just 18 days later. 

Rudy William Grajeda Magdaleno, 39, was released by Court Commissioner Joseph Dane. He allegedly exposed himself to employees of a parole resource center four days later.  Officers were called to the scene, but the offender ran away before they arrived. 

Magdaleno refused to charge his GPS tracking device the day before the incident, making it hard for the Santa Ana law enforcement officials to track him. 

His release was condemned by Santa Ana police Chief David Valentin who said he was allowed to walk free despite his significant and troubling documented criminal history. 

Magdaleno reportedly sexually assaulted a woman with special needs. He was also reported for masturbating at a law firm and breaking into the home of a minor without any clothing. 

He was charged with child molestation, indecent exposure, assault, battery, criminal threats, and inflicting injury on an elderly adult. He also had a previous criminal history that included robbery and narcotics possession. He only served 71 days of his 6-month minimum sentence for his last conviction.

He was released on April 13.


Unnecessary Move

Six other high-level sex offenders were released from Orange County's prisons due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The court commissioner released the inmates early in April. The move earned criticisms and warnings from experts and law enforcement officials who claim the order was not necessary as the prisons were not overcrowded. 

The seven sex offenders were released despite having been arrested for tampering with their GPS tracking devices. 

Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes also denounced the early release, citing his reports that showed a 45 percent decrease in jail population since early March. He also said they imposed strict measures in place to ensure the inmates are following the social distancing protocols released by the World Health Organization. 


Controversial mandate

While the issue of a deadly COVID-19 outbreak in overcrowded U.S. prisons has been a cause of concern in recent weeks, the order proved to be controversial. Only a small number of "non-violent" inmates in California, given an early release, were tested for the pandemic. 

The California Department of Corrections said they asked all convicts who were released to observe self-isolation. They were also given personal protective equipment to wear while in-transit to their county of release. 

The department could not give an exact figure on how many of the 3,500 released prisoners were tested for the new coronavirus pandemic before their release. 

A spokesperson for the department said they had protocols to follow. At the time of release, only prisoners who showed COVID-19 symptoms were tested. They said plans are in the works to reach and test all prisoners who were given an early release from state prisons. 

The department also set up a temporary housing unit at the prison that can hold sixty inmates. The units will allow more space for physical distancing, as suggested by federal health agencies. 

As of late April, over 270 CDCR employees and inmates were found positive with the COVID-19 pandemic.


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