The news of Merle Wakefield escape has reignited concerns among this Rancho Bernardo community who once fought very hard to keep a sexual violent predator from being placed in this neighborhood. “It’s a little bit creepy and unsettling for sure,” Jeff Grace said. Jeff is among many Ranch o Bernardo neighbors keeping their head on a swivel for Mere Wakefield. Wakefield is convicted of lewd acts on a child in 1980 and rape by means of force, violence, or fear in 1991. In 2021, Jeff led the Keep Rancho Berardo Safe Movement against Douglas Badger, another sexual violent predator that was going to be placed in their community. “We have a lot unanswered questions much like we did in 2021 when the state wanted to put badger in Rancho Bernardo,” Jeff Grace said. Since Badger’s case, Jeff has kept a close eye on sexually violent predators to ensure they are not placed in his neighborhood. Jeff said on July 7, 2024, Liberty Health Care planned to place Wakefield at home on Sycamore Canyon Road. Five days later, he and other community members rallied against that placement. That same day, the DA’s office notified them Liberty Health Care was no longer moving forward with that plan. “It made us feel great, and it took these residents that lived in this kind of one-way-in, one-way-out garden road community, they went from pure fear to tears of joy,” Jeff Grace said. The peace of mind was short-lived. After serving several years in prison and in the state mental hospital, in November of that year, Wakefield was placed on transient release. At last check, he was being temporarily housed at 1138 Custer Road in Campo. “When he was placed on transient release, nobody really knew where he was going to be. In fact, the judge when putting him on status said she was okay with putting him in an RV,” Grace said. On Friday, investigators under Liberty Health Care’s 24 hour supervision said Wakefield walked off from the job at the Amazon Processing Center in Rancho Bernardo. Sheriff investigators said he cut his monitor around 3:30 a.m. Friday. A law enforcement source said Wakefield threw his cell phone into the bushes then drove away in his 2018 White Toyota Camry. “This is the first time that something this dramatic has happened,” Jeff Grace said. Jeff said he is doing what he can to keep his community safe and he hopes others do the same. “The most immediate concern is keep your eye on your kids and keep your doors locked, I mean, that’s all we can do,” Grace said. NBC 7 got in touch with an Amazon spokesperson who shared the following statement, “We are looking into this incident and gathering additional information. We are in contact with law enforcement and will defer to them for any details about the investigation.” This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser. ...read more read less