DA Decries Sex Offenders Released Early Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

MISSION VIEJO, CA — A man on probation for threatening Laguna Beach teenagers on city trolley last summer, along with six others arrested for alleged parole violations were released from custody, as part of the state Supreme Court's efforts to reduce jail populations during the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

Kyle Albert Winton, 39, most recently of Mission Viejo was in jail for violating formal parole relating to the Laguna Beach trolley harassment in July. He and six other sex offenders were released months ahead of schedule, despite alleged violations such as cutting off their GPS monitors and tampering with their tracking devices, according to Kimberly Edds of the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

California law requires sex offenders who commit such violations serve six months in jail, but many of the sex offenders who have been released during the pandemic served just days before being granted release in court, Edds said.

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer remarked on the release, Wednesday.

"These kinds of high-risk sex offenders are the most dangerous kind of criminal and the most likely to re-offend," he said. "They are doing everything they can to avoid detection by the parole officers assigned to monitor them so they can potentially commit additional sex offenses. These are not the kind of people who should be getting a break."

"As a state legislator, I was the author and founder of the State of California Sex Offender Management Board and the author of Megan's Law on the Internet, which allows the public to see where these sex offenders are so that they can protect themselves and their families," Spitzer said.

The sex offenders who have been released since April 7 are:

Kyle Albert Winton, 40, of Mission Viejo, who has a history of child molestation, criminal threats to cause great bodily injury or death, resisting a peace officer, DUI and hit and run with property damage. He was released April 17 after serving 10 days credit time served on a parole violation after failing to charge GPS monitor despite 180 day minimum sentence and ordered to report to parole.

Luis Joel Ramirez, 27, of Costa Mesa, who has a history of sexual battery, assault with a deadly weapon, resisting a peace officer, burglary and possessing a leaded cane, a deadly weapon, and who prosecutors say has violated his parole four times since 2019; Ramirez was released April 7 after serving 20 days credit time served on a parole violation for cutting off his GPS despite 180 day minimum sentence. He was again released April 24, after serving 16 days credit time served on a parole violation for failing to report to parole.

James Franklin Bowling, 50, of Orange, who has a history of lewd conduct in a public place, repeated convictions for failing to register as a sex offender, repeated convictions for being a sex offender on school grounds, possession of a controlled substance and paraphernalia, and has allegedly violated parole twice since February.

He was released April 9 after serving 14 days credit time served on a parole violation for failing to charge GPS monitor despite 180 day minimum sentence. Ordered to report to parole. He does not report.

Rudy William Grajeda Magdaleno, 39, of Anaheim, who has a history of child molestation, indecent exposure, assault, battery, criminal threats, and inflicting injury on an elder adult, and who prosecutors say has violated parole five times since 2017.

He was released April 13 after serving 142 days credit time served on a parole violation for failing to charge GPS monitor despite 180 day minimum sentence. He is ordered to report to parole. He does not report.

Calvin Curtis Coleman, 52, of Santa Ana, who has a history of lewd conduct in a public place and has allegedly violated parole three times since 2019;

Released April 13 after serving 18 days credit time served on a parole violation after failing to charge GPS monitor despite 180 day minimum sentence and ordered to report to parole.

Jose Adrian Oregel, 46, of Santa Ana, who has a history of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, oral copulation of a person under the age of 18, great bodily injury, and being a second striker, and who prosecutors claim has violated parole six times since June of 2019.

He was released April 22 after serving 18 days credit time served a parole violation for failing to charge GPS monitor despite 180 day minimum sentence and ordered to report to parole.

Mario Ernesto Sandoval, 45, of Stanton, who has a history of sexual battery, touching for sexual arousal, indecent exposure, assault on a peace officer and assault, and allegedly violated parole once this year.

He was released April 22 after serving 16 credit time served on a parole violation for failing to report to charge GPS monitor despite 180 day minimum sentence and ordered to report to parole.

Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes announced Tuesday that he had reduced the Orange County jail system's population by about 45 percent since March 7, so there's plenty of room available in the jails to handle high-risk offenders such as these seven, Spitzer said.

All seven sex offenders were released between April 7 and April 22, according to the District Attorney's Office.