O.C. parents warned of sex offender's release

CHINO, Calif. Lawrence Brown has served 25 years of a 49-year sentence for abducting and sexually assaulting two young girls, ages 7 and 8 in separate incidents in Santa Ana.

Last time he was given a chance at parole, the 52-year-old headed to Tustin. Tustin police prepared flyers, warning residents about Brown's criminal past.

"Everyone here has kids. It's very dangerous," said Tustin resident Mario Martinez.

/*Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas*/ has called Brown a "boogey man" and has described him as a "ticking time bomb."

Brown was scheduled to be released from Chino State Prison to Irvine, Tustin or Santa Ana. He is required to report to his parole agent by Friday and has to register as a sex offender within five days of his release.

Brown was convicted of two brutal sexual attacks on young girls in 1983.

In one attack, he grabbed an 8-year-old, forced her into his van, raped her and eventually dropped her off alone.

"He terrified her by reminding her that he would come back and hurt her," said Rackauckas.

Later that year, he kidnapped a 7-year-old girl, threatened to kill her and repeatedly sexually abused her.

"The abuse continued until she vomited on the carpet," Rackauckas described. "To this day, Brown continues to lie by insisting that he didn't even commit these crimes."

Rackauckas wants Brown classified as a sexually violent predator, which would force him to stay in a state mental institution.

To get the classification of sexually violent predator, the state mental health department needs to sign off on it - something they haven't done so far.

"We have no right to review or repeal their nonsensical decisions," Rackauckas said.

The California Department of Mental Health released the following statement:

"The department continues to fulfill the screening, evaluation and expectations outlined in the law. The department is required to make specific notifications depending on the outcome of an evaluation and we fulfilled this obligation."

Back in April, Brown didn't fulfill his obligation of living where he said he was.

He registered as a sex offender in Santa Ana but stayed with his girlfriend in Tustin, near the intersection of Red Hill Avenue and Irvine Boulevard.

In May, he was sent back to jail after he violated parole after just 10 days of freedom by not charging his GPS device so he could not be monitored.

Tustin police are not the only ones with serious concerns about Brown. If he registers as a sex offender in either Santa Ana or Irvine, police in those cities said they will be sending out warning flyers similar to those sent out in Tustin.

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