CA- Garrido Case Puts New Meaning to Sex Offender Sweep

Article title is a bit misleading, it should say "for those on parole or probation" because the searching mentioned below simply is impossible for those not on parole or probation. Law enforcement would need probable cause and a warrant for folks not on parole or probation, even to search the property if the RSO was a homeowner. Yet for folks on parole or probation they can expect extra whatever LE can think of, until they get tired of doing this which will happen at some point.

9-18-2009 California:

Agents surrounded a motel in southern Santa Clara County Wednesday night on a stake out for sex offenders.

Back in July 2008, this same team searched the Antioch back yard of Phillip Garrido and found nothing.

Agents says they didn’t realize at the time how far Garrido’s property line ran and missed finding kidnap victim Jaycee

Dugard. They say they don’t want to make the same mistake again.

Both Phillip and Nancy Garrido have already been charged in the Dugard kidnapping case. They've pleaded not guilty.

"Our main concern is we don't have another Garrido incident in this county, or any other county in the area," said Lt. Ed

Wise of the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office.

More than 60 undercover agents with the SAFE, Sex Assault Felony Enforcement, Task Force fanned out across the South Bay the last two nights, checking up on sex offenders. It was an official 48 hour sweep.

The undercover team knew seven registered sex offenders were living in the motel and it was time to check up on them.

"I was just eating dinner, watching TV. It was unexpected. I don't know what's going on," said Jose Luis Gonzalez, a man

convicted of lewd and lascivious acts against a child.

While he sat on a chair in cuffs outside his motel room, agents searched his room. They found a beer bottle and a porn

magazine. Both are parole violations.

Gonzalez later told NBC Bay Area News, "I was going to throw it away. It's my fault, so I shouldn't have kept it in my room

at all."

Two doors down, his neighbor, Robert Joseph Hernandez, was also in cuffs. His violation was being in possession of a gun.

Gonzalez told NBC Bay Area, "It was just junk, man. Jesus Christ, man."

Gonzalez and Hernandez will now have to explain to a judge why they violated their parole.

The sweeps ended at 10 p.m. Thursday.

An undercover agent in the operation told NBC Bay Area News, "Were protecting the public from the worst, dangerous criminals

that there are, the predators and people who hurt our children."

In two nights, the agents visited almost 250 registered sex offenders.

Most were following the rules.

But a few, like Gonzalez and Hernandez, found themselves behind bars again. ..Source.. by DAMIAN TRUJILLO