No home for Sexually Violent Predator Cheek in Paradise

BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. — It's official, Sexually Violent Predator (SVP) Michael Cheek will not have a home in Paradise according to the Paradise Police Department.

In a press release sent out Thursday, the department stated that they received confirmation from the Department of State Hospitals and its vendor, Liberty Healthcare, that 1550 Gate Lane, Paradise, has been pulled from consideration for placement of the Santa Cruz County SVP Michael Cheek.

This comes after a major town hall meeting the week prior where his possible placement was discussed and much of the town spoke against it.

Paradise Police Chief Reinbold noted there was an overwhelming turnout from the community, both in person and online via live streaming. Over 2,000 comments were submitted online, and valuable information was obtained both from the live town hall and the online comments.

The statement from the department read:

While anger and outrage were understandably present, once it became known that verifiable and relevant community information about the area was needed from the residents of Paradise, the majority of responses were insightful, creative, and informative.

According to the PPD, Liberty Healthcare confirmed that they were no longer looking to place SVP Cheek at 1550 Gate Lane, and would be continuing their search to place him elsewhere.

Thursday the Department of State Hospitals also confirmed the Gate Lane property was no longer being considered for SVP housing, according to police.