Convicted sex offender, Cary Jay Smith, who reportedly calls himself Mr. RTK for “rape, torture, kill,” was temporarily living in Corona, after his release from a state psychiatric facility after 21 years.
Smith has been relocated to Lake Elsinore, then a San Diego County community, Garden Grove, a healthcare facility in Santa Ana, law enforcement officials say, and now he isn't in Santa Ana as of Wednesday.
He went back to Costa Mesa, according to an ABC 7 story on Wednesday.
On Wednesday afternoon, Santa Ana Police Department officials said on Twitter that "#SantaAnaPD has received information that Cary Jay Smith is no longer located in Santa Ana. SAPD will continue to monitor the situation and work in partnership with our law enforcement partners and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office."
In the ABC story, it was
reported that "Shortly after, police in Costa Mesa issued a community advisory that Smith had arrived at healthcare facility in that city. "CMPD is committed to public safety and will continue to monitor the situation and collaborate with our law enforcement partners," the advisory read."
#Update #PublicAdvisory #SantaAnaPD has received information that Cary Jay Smith is no longer located in Santa Ana. SAPD will continue to monitor the situation and work in partnership with our law enforcement partners and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
— SantaAnaPD (@SantaAnaPD)
July 23, 2020 #PublicAdvisory #SantaAnaPD has received information that Cary Jay Smith is currently located at a healthcare center in Santa Ana. SAPD is committed to public safety & will continue to monitor the situation & collaborate with our law enforcement partners & @OCDAToddSpitzer
— SantaAnaPD (@SantaAnaPD)
July 22, 2020 Earlier this week, the Garden Grove Police Department, reported that Smith, 59, was no longer in Garden Grove.
Update - Cary Jay Smith is no longer in #GardenGrove. Local authorities are continuing to monitor him. If he should return to our City, we will post a notice.#GGPD32 pic.twitter.com/hRMWAFEBeX
— Garden Grove Police (@GardenGrovePD)
July 21, 2020 Community members have a right to be afraid.
In the time Smith was held by the state, he was entitled to a new trial every six months to prove that he was no longer a threat to society.
"During those hearings, Smith has repeatedly testified that he fantasizes about raping and then killing young boys in order to avoid being identified. He claims that he has killed three boys and molested 200," the DA's office said in a statement last week.
Protesters gather outside a #GardenGrove motel, where a convicted #SexOffender is said to be staying. Police tweeted a warning to local residents. Some say he needs to leave. @KNX1070 pic.twitter.com/CJcPG2vNW9
— Jon Baird (@KNXBaird)
July 21, 2020 Garden Grove police have told the community that they've immediately set up a surveillance detail and are continuing to monitor Smith.
Dangerous sex offender, Cary Jay Smith, recently released from State Mental Hospital is residing in #GardenGrove. We immediately set up a surveillance detail and are continuing to monitor Smith.#GGPD32@CityGardenGrove pic.twitter.com/4WDwsPL5kn
— Garden Grove Police (@GardenGrovePD)
July 21, 2020 San Diego Sheriff's Department tweeted Sunday that Smith is staying at a motel in North County. Smith, 59, triggered warnings from law enforcement several times as he moved from Orange to Corona to Lake Elsinore, and then to San Diego over the last several days.
.@SDSheriff is monitoring a sex offender released by Coalinga State Hospital two weeks ago to ensure the safety of our communities. 59-year-old Cary Jay Smith is staying at a motel in the North County. He's moved around Orange and Riverside Counties since his release. pic.twitter.com/mtPhzJSrS7
— San Diego Sheriff (@SDSheriff)
July 19, 2020 Saturday, the Corona Police Department Saturday alerted the public that Cary was in the area.
More than 12,000 people signed a Change.org petition demanding for Smith to be registered again as a sex offender so people will be aware if he is in their community.
“Mr. Smith is not on any form of supervised release or required to register as a sex offender. Smith can move around without restrictions,” the police said.
*** Community Alert ***Cary Jay Smith is currently in the City of Corona. Please read the press release from Orange PD below for more details. Corona PD Officers are watching Smith while he is in Corona to ensure the safety of the community. https://t.co/yhfeg2S8yQ
— Corona Police Dept. #CoronaPD (@CoronaPD)
July 18, 2020 Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer and county Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Michelle Steel asked Gov. Gavin Newsom last week to stop the release of a man they say is a sexual predator.Smith was sent to Patton State Hospital in San Bernardino in 1999.
Smith was remanded to the hospital after describing in a letter the sex acts he wanted to perform on a 7-year-old boy who lived in his Costa Mesa neighborhood.“I’m so sad, and I’m so angry,” Lynn Rinner, the boy’s mother told CBS Los Angeles. “There’s too many kids that are in danger. This guy…it’s not ‘if’ he is going to offend. He will offend again.”
Smith was required to register as a sex offender after pleading guilty to a 1985 misdemeanor sexual offense involving a child. In 2005, that registration requirement was removed. His custody is re-evaluated every six months, and officials say he has repeatedly testified during those hearings about fantasizing about raping then killing young boys.
