Barger Denounces Proposed Placement of Sexually Violent Predator in Hi Vista, Urges...

Barger Denounces Proposed Placement of Sexually Violent Predator in Hi Vista, Urges Antelope Valley Residents to Speak Out

Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger today denounced the California Department of State Hospitals’ (DSH) recommendation to place convicted sex offender and adjudicated Sexually Violent Predator Harold Wachter at a residence on 200th Street East in the Hi Vista area of the Antelope Valley and urges Antelope Valley residents to submit written comments opposing the proposed placement.

Supervisor Barger first raised concerns about another Sexually Violent Predator (SVP) placement in the Antelope Valley in a July 7 letter to DSH Director Stephanie Clendin, asking the department to reconsider any proposal that again targets the rural north county for SVP housing.

In the letter, Supervisor Barger noted that three SVPs had already been housed in the region over the previous five years and argued that the repeated placements place a disproportionate burden on a community representing just four percent of the County’s population.

"I am outraged that, despite my direct appeal to the Department of State Hospitals last month, the Antelope Valley is yet again being treated as a dumping ground for a Sexually Violent Predator,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “There is something systemically broken in our state's placement system when one region is repeatedly forced to shoulder a disproportionate share of housing the state’s highest-risk offenders. Our desert and rural communities should not be treated as a convenient option for state agencies looking to place individuals in isolated locations. It is unfair and unjust to the families and communities who call the Antelope Valley home."

According to the formal notification issued by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, members of the public have until August 26, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. to submit written public comments regarding the proposed placement.

"Residents will not even have the opportunity to address the court in person since only five members of the public will be admitted to observe," Supervisor Barger added. "That makes written public comment the only voice Antelope Valley families have in this process. I encourage every resident who opposes this placement to submit a comment before the deadline."

Written comments may be submitted by:

Email: SVPcomments@da.lacounty.gov Mail: Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, Attention: Sex Crimes Division – SVP Unit, 211 W. Temple St., 9th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90012 A formal placement hearing will be held September 10, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. in Department 113 of the Hollywood Courthouse, located at 5925 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028. Courtroom seating is limited to five members of the public, selected by lottery. Members of the public will not be allowed to address the court directly.