A court-designated sexually violent predator could be placed in Los Gatos.
Last updated Sept. 29, 2026
The state has proposed a home in the Los Gatos community (Santa Cruz County) for the supervised release of Michael Cheek, a court-designated sexually violent predator. The Sheriff also opposes placement at this site, citing unreliable cell and GPS coverage, narrow roads that close, dense forest that would make a search hard, and schools, a Girl Scout camp, a church, and a park nearby.
His release was ordered in 2019. What the court is deciding now is where he lives, so letters are most effective when they explain why this site doesn't work.
Know the history. In three of four past attempts, the placement ended when the property owner withdrew. The one time a judge approved a site, the community had to win on appeal. See what stopped past attempts.
What stopped past attempts
This is the sixth proposed placement since the 2019 release order. Here is how the earlier ones ended, from public records and news coverage. Sources are numbered and listed at the bottom of the page.
The property owner withdrew the home after opposition from the San Mateo County Sheriff, Redwood City police, and residents.3
The judge approved the placement despite local objections. The Sheriff said he was "very disappointed" in the decision. The District Attorney appealed. The Court of Appeal ordered the approval vacated, but only because a school had opened within a quarter mile of the home, which state law prohibits. The safety arguments about coverage, roads, and response did not decide the case.2, 7
After neighbors objected, the homeowner rescinded her agreement to rent to Mr. Cheek, and the contractor returned its holding deposit.4, 5
The owner withdrew both proposed hotel sites. The contractor told the court the withdrawal was "based on community opposition."6
In three of four attempts, the property owner chose to withdraw, and that choice protected their neighbors. The hearing itself has not yet stopped a placement, and the one appeal turned on a quarter-mile school rule that may not apply here. That is why letters, a full courtroom, and a Board position matter now, before the Oct. 30 hearing.
Keep it lawful. No threats toward anyone, including Mr. Cheek. Do not contact or approach the property owner, their family, or the property. Comment only through the DA's SVP Unit.
Send your own letter
Write a few respectful sentences in your own words. Personal letters carry more weight than copied ones. Sign with your name and address, and send it ASAP, no later than Oct. 29. Comments must be received before Oct. 30 (Sheriff's release, Sept. 23, 2026).
- Who you are and where you live.
- Why this site doesn't work.
- Something you have seen yourself, like your cell service, the roads, or families nearby.
- Your request: please do not approve this placement.
The first is Supervisor Manu Koenig, whose district includes this site. End your letter with this line:
"Supervisor Koenig, please bring an item to the Board opposing this placement and send the County's letter to the Court before Oct. 30."
Letters sent to the Board are part of the public record and may be listed by name on a Board agenda.
Open a new email in:
Gmail lets you pick which Google account to send from. The address, CC, and subject are filled in; you write the letter.
Or mail
Send your letter to the DA's SVP Unit (email or mail), not to the judge or courthouse directly. Mailing? Send it right away so it arrives before Oct. 30, and email a copy to the two CC addresses above.
Share on social media
Share only these materials, and only on your own accounts. Don't add the property's address, photos of the property, or anyone's personal information. Tap a picture to download it.
Instagram: post all 3 together, in order
Facebook, Nextdoor, X, and Stories
Download story
Download wide post (Facebook, Nextdoor, X)
Facebook crops pictures when several are posted together, so use this single wide picture there.
Attend the hearing
Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, 1:30 p.m.
Santa Cruz County Superior Court, Dept. 6, 701 Ocean St., Santa Cruz, before the Hon. Nancy de la Peña.
Arrive 30 minutes early. In past hearings the public could attend but not speak, but a full room still gets noticed. Follow all courtroom rules and staff instructions. No signs, chanting, or demonstrations inside the courthouse. Confirm the date the week before with the DA's office: (831) 454-2400.
Speak at the Board of Supervisors
This site is in Supervisorial District 1 (Supervisor Manu Koenig), per the County's parcel records. The Board can formally oppose a placement and tell the Court, as the cities of Watsonville and Santa Cruz did for earlier proposed sites this year. Ask them to do the same.
Tuesday, Oct. 6 or Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, 9:00 a.m., during Public Comment near the start of the meeting.
Board Chambers, 701 Ocean St., Room 525, Santa Cruz, or join by Zoom or phone. The Zoom link and call-in number are on each agenda, posted the Thursday before at the Board's meeting portal.
- Who you are and where you live.
- Why this site doesn't work.
- Your request: "Please formally oppose this placement and send the County's letter to the Court before Oct. 30."
Same rules as your letter: respectful, factual, and about the site. Board members usually don't respond on the spot to Public Comment, and that's normal.
Can't make it? Email a written comment to BoardOfSupervisors@santacruzcountyca.gov by 5:00 p.m. the day before (Oct. 5 or Oct. 19).
The Sheriff's statement
Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office media release, Sept. 23, 2026. It includes where to send comments and the deadline.
Sources
Every fact on this page and on the printed flyer comes from one of these. Quoted phrases on the flyer are marked * and ** and match items 1 and 2 word for word.
- * Lookout Santa Cruz, report on the Sheriff's opposition to the proposed placement, Sept. 23, 2026. Quoted: "raping her at gunpoint" and "escaped custody a year later." lookout.co
- ** CBS News Bay Area, "Sheriff outraged by judge's decision to place sexual predator in Bonny Doon," Nov. 15, 2021. Quoted: "raped a 15-year-old girl in Lake County before being recaptured." cbsnews.com
- CBS News Bay Area, "Update: Plan to place convicted sexual predator in Redwood City neighborhood halted," Feb. 9, 2021 (Emerald Hills owner withdrew). cbsnews.com
- CBS News Bay Area, "Convicted rapist won't move into Santa Cruz County home after homeowner rescinds agreement," Sept. 5, 2024 (Aptos). cbsnews.com
- Lookout Santa Cruz, "After neighbors object, rapist Michael Cheek won't be placed in Aptos home," Sept. 4, 2024. lookout.co
- The Pajaronian, "Sexually violent predator Michael Cheek will not be placed in Watsonville, Santa Cruz hotels," April 10, 2026. pajaronian.com
- People v. Superior Court (Cheek), California Court of Appeal, Sixth District, No. H049691, filed Jan. 6, 2023 (order vacating the Bonny Doon approval under Welfare and Institutions Code section 6608.5(f)). Opinion (PDF)
- Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office, media release, "Statement from Sheriff Chris Clark on the Proposed Placement of Michael Cheek," Sept. 23, 2026. Download (PDF)
- The Pajaronian, report on the Sheriff's opposition to the proposed placement, Sept. 23, 2026. pajaronian.com
Note on one detail: the 2021 CBS report places the 1980 kidnapping at Seabright Beach; the 2026 Lookout report says Seacliff State Beach. We have not resolved which is correct, so neither appears on the flyer.