Judge: Sexually Violent Predator To Be Placed in Borrego Springs

Written by Kelly Wheeler

A sexually violent predator cleared for release can be placed in a home in Borrego Springs, with continued treatment and supervision, a judge ruled Tuesday.

Terry Stone, 63, diagnosed as a pedophile, has three convictions for committing lewd and lascivious acts against five victims between 6 and 11 years old. In 1994, he was given 19 years in prison.

Stone was sent to a state hospital in 2003 and, last year, he sought his conditional release from the hospital. In December, Judge Frederick Maguire ruled he could be safely released.

Borrego Springs residents expressed their displeasure with the state's plan to put Stone in their community, prompting Maguire to tour the area.

Tuesday, the judge said Liberty Healthcare, under contract to the state for housing and treating post-release, sexually violent predators, checked out nearly 400 homes, before recommending a four-bedroom home on Frying Pan Road in Borrego Springs.

Stone will not be allowed to go the town, Christmas Circle Community Park or be on any residential streets, the judge said.

"I'm well aware that the residents there are not happy," the judge said.

Maguire ordered that Stone be placed in Borrego Springs on or before June 20.

At the hearing May 2, San Diego County Supervisor Bill Horn expressed his "strong opposition" to Stone's release into an area with a population of about 2,000 people that fluctuates depending on the season.

"It's not a matter of if this predator will strike again; it's a matter of when he will strike again," Horn said. Placing people such as Stone in the area would reduce the "vitality" of a "family-friendly tourist destination," he said.

—City News Service