Squaw Valley property owner who agreed to house sex offender apologizes to community

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The property owner of a Squaw Valley trailer contracted to be the home of a convicted sexual predator is speaking out. He says the state never told him all of the details about Jeffrey Snyder's past, but he still takes full responsibility.

He says he received dozens of threats from people in the community who want to keep Snyder out. Snyder was released from Coalinga State Hospital after serving his prison term.

"They said we are willing to pay up to $5,000 a month to find a spot for him to live," the property owner said. "That's crazy rent. That a lot of income for a big family."

After about a month of thinking about it, the father of five accepted the offer. He said he didn't know that over a span of 15 years, Snyder was convicted five times of sex crimes with kids.

"No, that was never brought up," he said. "After seeing details and all, I was like crazy - shocked. But that should have been on my diligence too, I should have checked into it myself."

The trailer where Snyder was contracted to live was destroyed by a suspicious fire. Soon after the blaze, he got another call from the state.

"If I was willing to clean it up and put another one in there and that's when I said no, no more," he said.

Since then he's pulled his application, and it's one he wishes he had never turned in.

"I'm glad that I'm pulling out, and I'm really sorry for my neighbors and what I did to them by even considering such a nasty option," he said.

The Department of State Hospitals released this statement regarding the history of patients who are released:

"No, a detailed history is not given. The property owners are made aware that the patient is a convicted sex offender and that news about the placement may result in public outrage against them."

Though the trailer is no longer an option, neighbors fear Squaw Valley still is.

"The actuality is it's not over," neighbor Lonnie Work said. "We understand that they have already found another site that they're looking at in this area."

The property owner also says after he withdrew his offer to rent, Liberty Healthcare, the contractor the state is using to find housing for Snyder, tried to convince him to change his mind by raising the cost they would pay for rent from $5,000 to $6,000. The state denies that claim.