Sexually violent predator moves into Antelope neighborhood, deputies issue warning to residents
ANTELOPE – The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office is putting out a warning to an Antelope neighborhood about a sexually violent predator.
The sheriff's office said Robert Singleton was sent to prison in 1994, released in 2003 and then sent to a state hospital where he served his entire parole term.
Now, he has moved into a home in an Antelope neighborhood.
"I have a 3-year-old, so that definitely makes me scared," said one mother who did not want to be identified.
She had no idea she was walking her little girl on the same street where registered sex offender Singleton lives.
Singleton's been convicted of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 multiple times and has served all of the time he was sentenced to.
The mother said that she thought she had peace of mind because she lived by a school and park, but that does not keep sexually violent predators from living there.
In 2015, California overturned Jessica's Law, which kept sex offenders from living at least 2,000 feet away from a school or park. It was overturned because the courts were having trouble placing released predators.
Singleton moved into the Antelope neighborhood about five months ago, around 530 feet away from North Country Elementary School.
"I am just trying to be left alone. I have done my time already," Singleton said. "I am sick, I got cancer."
CBS13 spoke with Singleton over the phone and asked him directly about the sheriff's office claims that he was seen in front of his home during pick-up time from school watching kids walk to and from.
"I don't come outside every time kids come outside," Singleton said. "I just step outside for fresh air."
That is the only recent incident the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office could tell CBS13 and it is not a crime.
Criminal defense attorney Mark Reichel believes this warning from the sheriff's office seems a little excessive for law enforcement.
"It could be political, that it's good politics for the sheriff's office to be doing that or they could feel that something is amiss," Reichel said.
Sergeant Amar Gandhi with the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office shot down that the warning was politically motivated.
"We have articulable things," Gandhi said. "We have actual events that we have observed that have caused some alarm."
Singleton is required to register as a sex offender every 90 days. He told CBS13 he re-registered at the end of October.
"My neighbors, they don't have to worry about me," Singleton said. "I am not going to do anything to anybody."
CBS13 played back the recording of Singleton's statement to Gandhi.
"I hope he's 100% correct," Gandhi said. "I hope nothing happens and I hope everyone gets to live a peaceful life."
Singleton was released under what is considered an unconditional release, so Gandhi said he does not have a parole officer watching him.
"So far, I have heard that he's not in violation of any law," Reichel said.
Gandhi said the reports of incidents they have received about Singleton specifically reached a level that they legally can notify neighbors. He could not tell CBS13 how many reports are being investigated.