Registered sex offender moves from Fallbrook to Temecula without informing law enforcement audit reveals

According to Sheriff’s Sgt. Joe Montion, on Saturday, Dec. 10, Detective Dan Laibach of the Fallbrook Sheriff’s substation and members of the San Diego County Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement (S.A.F.E.) task force conducted an audit of all registered sex offenders living in the Fallbrook command area.

At 7 a.m. that morning, the task force began checking on these individuals to ensure that all within this jurisdiction were in compliance with Megan’s Law and had provided registration information that was true and current. This annual compliance check is done through personal contacts at the registrant’s listed place of residence.

In the Fallbrook command, there are currently 35 registered sex offenders. Each individual is required to register their address of residence, business and vehicles with the Sheriff’s Dept. each year within five days of his or her birthday. Any changes to that information must be reported within five working days of the change.

Only one individual was found to be out of compliance in the audit. Michael Stevens, 66, had moved out of his Fallbrook residence and failed to properly inform law enforcement. He was found to be in violation of his lifetime requirement to register as a sex offender.

Upon further investigation, Stevens was found living at his mother’s residence in Temecula.

Stevens was contacted and taken into custody by Detective Laibach and S.A.F.E. task force Detectives Ramirez and Baca and booked into the Vista Detention Facility for failure to register his current residence.

Bail was set for Stevens at $25,000.

To comment on this story online, visit http://www.thevillagenews.com.