Residents of Jacumba were knocked on their doors by deputies from the San Diego County Sheriff's Department along with officers from the Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement (SAFE) Task Force on Wednesday, delivering a sobering message: a Sexually Violent Predator (SVP) is now living among them. Albert Raymond Carder has made the small community his new home after a court-ordered release into the Conditional Release Program. With convictions for child molestation and kidnapping from the late '80s, Carder is a marked man under California's Megan's Law, which allows the public to be forewarned about sex offenders like him.
The legal brief from law enforcement was clear: "This notification is not intended to induce fear; rather, it is our belief that an informed community is a safer community." This comes after Carder, listed at 5'11" and 195 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes, completed his civil commitment to a state mental hospital. Yet the shadow of his past, specifically targeting children, looms heavy on Jacumba, as citizens were reminded to be vigilant yet not to engage in harassment or intimidation, which the notice from May 23 sternly warns could lead to legal consequences.
In a community rightly concerned for its children's safety, details of Carder's background are scrutinized. Carder bears the weighty designation of SVP following his convictions for offenses under 288(a)PC—Child Molest. His physical description and address at 45612 Old Highway 80 in Jacumba, now common knowledge, are posted clearly on the notice. No vehicle is registered in his name, and he remains under the watchful eye of the Conditional Release Program.
The Sheriff's Department emphasizes that law enforcement did not choose Carder’s residence. That decision falls to the Department of State Hospitals and the San Diego Superior Court. In response, the community has been prompted to educate themselves equally and to watchfully coexist with a man whose notorious past deeds demand to be on guard constantly. The San Diego County District Attorney's website and the Department of State Hospital's website serve as resources for those wishing to understand further the complexities of legal designations and treatments concerning sexually violent predators. More information can be found by visiting their official websites through links provided on the Sheriff's notice, accessible at the San Diego County Sheriff's Office.
