Republican members of the California Legislature will hold a media availability and rally Wednesday morning (March 18) ahead of a Board of Parole Hearings proceeding reviewing the planned release of convicted child predator Gregory Lee Vogelsang.

Vogelsang was convicted in 1999 of dozens of child molestation charges involving five boys, including kidnapping. He received a sentence of 355 years to life in prison and has served 27 years. The Board of Parole Hearings granted him parole in November, a decision that has raised serious concerns among lawmakers and community members.

The case has renewed scrutiny of California’s Elderly Parole Program, which allows individuals aged 50 and older who have served at least 20 years in prison to be considered for parole.

Assemblyman Josh Hoover issued the following statement:
“The Parole Board has failed to protect our community and is putting more children at risk by allowing these monsters to walk free. Make no mistake, the early release of these heinous criminals is a policy choice that Governor Newsom and the supermajority made when they established the current Elderly Parole Program. The only way for the governor to make it right is to replace the parole board with members who value public safety and undo the misguided policies that made these releases possible.”

The event will take place shortly before the parole board’s scheduled en banc hearing reviewing Vogelsang’s case. Legislative members will discuss legislation being introduced to prevent early release of predators.

Assemblymembers Josh Hoover, David Tangipa, Tom Lackey, Jeff Gonzalez and Joe Patterson, Senators Brian Jones, Shannon Grove and Roger Niello and Anne Marie Schubert, former Sacramento County District Attorney, John McGinness, former Sacramento County Sheriff and community members and victims’ advocates all plan to attend.

Hadwick Urges Immediate Parole Reform Following Second Convicted Serial Child Predator Release in Three Months

March 8 (Posted in Siskiyou News)

SACRAMENTO, CA (March 4, 2026) — Assemblywoman Heather Hadwick joined colleagues in sending a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom (dated Feb. 27) expressing profound outrage over the California Board of Parole Hearings’ decision to reaffirm parole suitability for David Allen Funston — a convicted serial child predator responsible for 16 counts of kidnapping and sexual assault against multiple children under the age of seven.

Funston, sentenced to more than 20 years plus three consecutive life terms, was cleared for release under California’s expanded Elderly Parole Program. The program was originally established under Assembly Bill 1448 and later expanded by Assembly Bill 3234, lowering eligibility to age 50 and 20 years served.

“The release of a serial child predator is not a close call. It is a catastrophic failure of the system,” said Assemblymember Hadwick. “When individuals who committed heinous crimes against children are deemed ‘suitable’ for release, it sends a chilling message to families across California. Public safety must come first.”

Hadwick is specifically recognizing the decisive intervention by the Placer County District Attorney’s Office, whose swift legal action prevented Funston from walking free. The office refiled previously uncharged 1996 sexual assault allegations within the statute of limitations and secured a new arrest warrant — ensuring Funston was transferred directly into local custody rather than released into the community.

In a statement, Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire said, “when changes in the law put our communities at risk, it is our duty to re-evaluate those cases and act accordingly. David Allen Funston committed very real crimes against a Placer County child, and the statute of limitations allows us to hold him accountable for those crimes.”

In the letter to the Governor, lawmakers call for immediate accountability and reforms to ensure that individuals convicted of violent sexual offenses against children are permanently excluded from Elderly Parole consideration.

“This is now the second time in less than three months that a predator has been released, or nearly released, into our region,” said Hadwick. “Families in the North State are watching this happen in real time, and they are losing faith that the system is prioritizing their safety.”

Earlier this month, a proposed Sexually Violent Predator placement in Alta was denied by the Placer County Superior Court after the court determined the location, less than one-quarter mile from a legally operating private K–12 school,  was not suitable following extensive community opposition.

“Communities should not have to mobilize just to protect their neighborhoods,” Hadwick said. “When repeat violent offenders are repeatedly deemed suitable for release or placement near children, it is clear we need stronger safeguards.”

Funston was arraigned this week in Placer County Superior Court and the judge continued the case to Monday, March 9.

To read the letter to the governor, click HERE. 

(Editor’s Note: The letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom was signed by 20 Assembly members:

Heather Hadwick, 1st District; James Gallagher, 3rd District; Joe Patterson, 5th District; Josh Hoover, 7th District; David Tangipa, 8th District; Heath Flora, 9th District; Juan Alanis, 22nd District; Stan Ellis, 32nd District; Alexandra Macedo, 33rd District; Tom Lackey, 34th District; Jeff Gonzalez, 36th District; Greg Wallis, 47th District; Leticia Castillo, 58th District; Philip Chen, 59th District; Natasha Johnson, 63rd District; Tri Ta, 70th District; Kate Sanchez, 71st District; Diane Dixon, 72nd District; Laurie Davies, 74th District; and Carl DeMaio, 75th District.)