SAN DIEGO, CA — A Sexually Violent Predator who went missing in Rancho Bernardo this weekend was still at large Sunday, prompting the San Diego County Sheriff's Office to issue a message on social media.
Merle Wakefield, 69, was wearing a GPS device Friday at 3:30 a.m. while at work in Rancho Bernardo when it alerted authorities that it was in "tamper mode," according to the sheriff's office.
Wakefield was supervised by Liberty Health Care as part of the state's Conditional Release Program. LHC notified the SDSO and San Diego Police Department after its personnel responded to the scene and discovered that Wakefield's GPS had been removed and Wakefield was no longer at the location, deputies said.
"The San Diego County Sheriff's Office shares the community's concerns over Merle Wakefield's disappearance. We have been working diligently to locate him," the SDSO posted on X Sunday morning. "We continue to ask the public to be aware and to notify any law enforcement agency if he is seen or you have information that will assist in his apprehension. @SDSheriff is still actively looking for Wakefield. If you see him, do not approach him. Contact your local law enforcement or call 911."
Wakefield was convicted of lewd acts with a minor under 14 in 1981 and rape by force, violence, or fear in 1990. After his 1998 release, he was designated as an SVP and has been on conditional release since November 2024, the SDSO said.
Wakefield is 5-feet-10-inches tall, weighs 230 pounds and has brown eyes.
SDSO Watch Commander Lt. Joe Berry told City News Service on Sunday that the Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement Task Force and the sheriff's Fugitive Task Force have been looking for Wakefield since his disappearance.
"We've got a lot of different resources out there helping us," Berry said. "All of our deputies in the county have that BOL (be on the lookout) and are aware of it. Everyone knows what he looks like and they are keeping their eyes and ears open."
Berry also had a message for the public. "If you see something, say something," he said.
San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond issued a statement on social media Sunday.
"It's been more than 48 hours since Merle Wakefield took off his GPS monitor and walked away. He's still out there," Desmond posted on X. "A convicted child molester and violent rapist is loose in San Diego County this weekend, and the state that put him here has said nothing. If you see him, do not approach. Call 911."
Desmond's post was a follow-up to a post on Friday.
"The unfortunate reality is that what happened with Merle Wakefield could have happened at any time," he wrote. "As long as the state keeps releasing sexually violent predators into our neighborhoods, families are one tampered ankle monitor away from this. These people don't belong anywhere near our communities. They belong locked up in a secure state facility. Period."
According to a news release issued in November 2024 by the SDSO, Wakefield "was conditionally released from Coalinga State Hospital. Wakefield is registered as a SVP with the California Department of Justice and the County of San Diego. He has served several years in state prison for his crimes before his civil commitment to a state mental hospital for sex offenders."
Wakefield was released into the community as a transient by court order. He was temporarily housed in the East County community of Jacumba Hot Springs under the Conditional Release Program, after residents of Mt. Helix strongly opposed his planned placement in their community.
He has a lifetime requirement to register as a sex offender and was under 24-hour supervision by Liberty Health Care, a private company contracted by the state of California.
The 2024 SDSO news release also said Wakefield had several conditions that are enforceable by Liberty Health Care personnel, including having a security employee who accompanies him on a 24/7 basis.
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
San Diego Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.