Synopsis
Over the past couple of days, there’s been a number of emails flying around a couple of troublesome situations. The first is about a registered sex offender frequenting Westlake Village on the Ventura County side. The second is about a “follow home” situation where an individual may be following people to their homes.
Registered Offender
The Ventura County Sheriff has issued an alert about an individual reportedly behaving in a bizarre and concerning way, although there’s no reports of him breaking the law, and he is not on the Meghan’s law web site.
It’s very clear from his actions, and the words painted on the side of his vehicle and more, that he’s trying to get a rise out of people. The more that people react to him, the more he gets what he wants.
As troubling as this is, having these words written on the side of his van is not a crime. And, it’s not illegal for him to be parked on a street, or in a parking lot. According to the Sheriff, it’s also not illegal for him to be near a school.
Reportedly, he has been checked out by mental health professionals. In the end, his rights are protected, including freedom of speech.
If you do see this individual doing something illegal, causing a disturbance, or jeopardizing someone’s safety, then keep your distance, do NOT approach him, and call the Sheriff immediately. However, it is not helpful to report his whereabouts if he’s not doing anything illegal or suspicious.
If you would like to see pictures of the van, or of him, they are available in the official Ventura County Sheriff alert which you can see at:
Click to access 080313-PerryPublicAlert.pdf
“Follow Home”
The Sheriff has been unable to confirm the “follow home” situation. That said, it’s possible that this has happened, and the deputy we spoke to encouraged people to always be alert about someone following them home.
If you see someone suspicious following you, do not drive home. Simply call the Sheriff from a cell phone, or drive to a very public location and call for help.