A Northern California lawmaker is calling for changes to the state’s parole system following the near release of a convicted serial child predator.
In a statement this week, Heather Hadwick said she joined other lawmakers in sending a letter to Gavin Newsom urging reforms to California’s elderly parole process after the California Board of Parole Hearings reaffirmed parole suitability for convicted offender David Allen Funston.
Funston, who was sentenced to more than 20 years plus three consecutive life terms for kidnapping and sexually assaulting multiple children under the age of seven, had been cleared for release under California’s expanded Elderly Parole Program.
“The release of a serial child predator is not a close call. It is a catastrophic failure of the system,” Hadwick said in the letter. “When individuals who committed heinous crimes against children are deemed ‘suitable’ for release, it sends a chilling message to families across California. Public safety must come first.”
The potential release was halted after the Placer County District Attorney’s Office filed additional charges tied to previously uncharged 1996 sexual assault allegations, resulting in a new arrest warrant and Funston’s transfer to local custody instead of release.
Hadwick said the situation underscores the need for stronger restrictions on parole eligibility for offenders convicted of violent crimes against children.
“This is now the second time in less than three months that a predator has been released, or nearly released, into our region,” Hadwick said in the letter. “Families in the North State are watching this happen in real time, and they are losing faith that the system is prioritizing their safety.”
Funston was arraigned this week in Placer County Superior Court, with the case scheduled to continue March 9.
