Judge Rules 'Bolder-Than-Most Rapist' Can Be Released To Community

SAN DIEGO, CA — A man dubbed the "bolder-than-most rapist" for a series of sexual assaults committed in the 1980s can be released from a state hospital and into the community in a supervised setting, a judge ruled Thursday.

The ruling means state hospital officials will begin searching for a residence where Alvin Ray Quarles, 61, can be housed to continue undergoing treatment at an outpatient location.

Quarles spent 25 years in state prison after pleading guilty in 1989 to committing a string of rapes, robberies, and burglaries. Many of the attacks were committed at knifepoint and Quarles sometimes forced the women's husbands or boyfriends to watch. He was committed to a state hospital in 2014 and has remained there ever since.

Quarles is classified as a sexually violent predator, a designation for those convicted of sexually violent offenses and diagnosed with a mental disorder that makes them likely to re-offend.

After serving their prison sentences, SVPs undergo treatment at state hospitals, but may also petition courts to continue treatment in outpatient locations, where they are monitored via GPS, among other measures.

On Thursday, San Diego County Superior Court Judge David M. Gill granted Quarles' release following a bench trial in which he heard testimony from psychologists who evaluated Quarles.

During the trial, Deputy District Attorney Zach Wallace said four doctors who evaluated Quarles concluded he was ready for release. The prosecutor said the D.A.'s Office examined case law regarding SVP releases and found that in a prior case, prosecutors were unable to challenge an SVP's release when no mental health professionals disagreed with the individual's suitability for release.

Quarles' attorney, Solomon Chang, said Quarles has reached a place where he is genuinely remorseful and gained an "understanding of what he has done to his victims."

Chang called Quarles "an example of how we actually want the SVP Act to work" because he's made progress to confront the impact of his crimes, according to the attorney.

"It doesn't make up for (what he did) but what it does do is show the court that the chances of him doing this again are basically zero," Chang said.

Gill said that while officials will begin the process of looking for a residence to house Quarles, the search is often lengthy and it is difficult to find a suitable location. Another hearing was scheduled for Feb. 16, during which officials are expected to provide updates about the housing search efforts.

Once a placement location is recommended by state hospital officials, the public will be invited to court to weigh in on whether the placement is suitable.

— City News Service