By Phil Willon
Los Angeles Times
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — The case of a convicted felon who allegedly stabbed a woman to death at a Fontana park-and-ride has exposed flaws in Gov. Jerry Brown’s controversial plan to give local governments responsibility for nonviolent prisoners, San Bernardino County authorities said Tuesday.
David Mulder, 43, a transient with a history of drug-related convictions, was shot and killed Sunday night by a California Highway Patrol officer responding to a report of a woman being attacked in a car near the San Bernardino Freeway. Elisa VanCleve, 49, of Rialto was in the car with Mulder and died of stab wounds.
County probation officials said Mulder was released from state prison Sept. 25 under the governor’s realignment program, which transferred supervision of prisoners and probationers convicted of nonviolent and non-sex-related crimes to local agencies.
Realignment was approved after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld federal oversight of California’s overcrowded prisons. Local law enforcement agencies have complained of being overrun by prisoners and parolees sent to county jails, treatment programs and probation supervision — even with additional state funding.
A week before the killing, another felon released to county supervision under the program allegedly raped a woman in a Fontana motel room, according to the Fontana Police Department. Juan Francisco Aguilera, 30, had convictions for grand theft auto, drug possession, receiving stolen property and robbery.
Fontana Police Chief Rod Jones called both cases prime examples of the failure of realignment.
Full story: Gov. Jerry Brown’s prison program blamed in fatal stabbing