Eldridge Chaney: Prunedale, California, Is Being Forced To Take In Serial Rapist, And Residents Are Not Happy


Prunedale, California, will soon be getting a new resident, and the locals are not happy about it. Who can blame them? No one had a choice in the matter, including the local law enforcement.

Eldridge Lindsey Chaney Jr. is a Class 4 sex offender who has spent the last three decades in the State of California’s custody. Chaney was convicted in 1978 of rape, and he was convicted again of rape and attempted rape in 1988. All of the incidents involved him forcing his way into the homes of his victims. One of his victims was a 16-year-old girl. Now, the California Department of State Hospitals says he is ready to be reintroduced back into society.

Residents of Prunedale are not real happy about the situation they will soon be facing. Fronzaline Messerli, a resident of the neighborhood that Chaney is being assigned to, spoke to KSBW News 8.

“They shouldn’t be rewarded, and to me that’s what it is. They’re being rewarded to live out here.

I really think it’s just wrong that the folks who don’t abide by the rules and they are almost like rewarded to live in this very peaceful neighborhood and make everybody else feel uncomfortable.”

Prunedale resident Rafela Garcia also spoke about his concern for the children in the community.

“We have grandchildren here. A lot of grandchildren play outside and (ride) bicycles and, to me, that’s a little bit scary.”

The Monterey County Sheriff’s Department, which services the Prunedale area, was quick to point out they had nothing to do with Chaney moving into the area. They are also not responsible for the monitoring of Chaney, either. That job falls on the state health department. Monterey County Sheriff Detective Larry Bryant spoke on behalf of the department.

“Neither the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office nor the SAFE Task Force is responsible for the proposed residential site. The selection of the residence is the responsibility of California Department of State Hospitals (as contracted with Liberty Healthcare) and the California Superior Court, County of Monterey.”

The office chose to release the information to the public for “public safety information purposes only.” They stressed that any misuse of the information by the residents would not be tolerated.

“Misuse of this information in the form of harassment, threats, or other related activities can result in criminal prosecution or civil remedies.”

Should the residents of Prunedale, California, be subjected to the state placing a violent sex offender in their community? Should the deputies office have went out of their way to make Eldridge Chaney’s new home address public in the grand fashion they did? Let us know.

[Photo by KSBW News 8]

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