Sacramento County deputies are taking a hard public stand against a possible elderly-parole release for Jorge Rangel Tinoco, a man they say sexually assaulted a 5-year-old girl in Rancho Cordova in 1994. Retired investigators who worked the case told the sheriff’s office they are still disturbed by details from the original investigation and by remarks Tinoco reportedly made at a recent parole hearing. The county’s move has become the latest flare-up in a long-running fight over California’s elderly-parole rules after several controversial grants in the region.
As reported by FOX40, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said deputies found the child “visibly in pain” when they arrived at the Rancho Cordova scene on April 4, 1994, and that officers carried her into the emergency room for an exam. The office said Tinoco, who was later sentenced to 24 years-to-life, blamed the victim during the investigation, telling detectives the girl “asked for it,” and that he has served roughly 29 years behind bars. FOX40 also reported Tinoco told the parole panel he still struggles with sexual fantasies about young girls but said he has them “under control.”
Parole Hearing Records
The California Board of Parole Hearings' April schedule lists a subsequent suitability hearing for "Tinoco, Jorge Rangel" at Valley State Prison on April 15, 2026. The Board's April schedule confirms the case was considered by a parole panel earlier this month, though the sheriff’s office says a final release date remains pending. The official calendar shows the hearing type and location but does not spell out the parole board's timeline for any discharge.
Law Enforcement Pushes For Reform
Sheriff Jim Cooper has seized on recent parole decisions to launch a ballot effort called “Protect Our Kids” that would narrow Proposition 57 and bar sexually violent predators from elderly-parole consideration, according to the Sacramento Bee. Cooper told the Bee the parole board has “too much unfettered power,” and retired detectives at the sheriff’s briefings said the Tinoco file shows why, in their view, stricter rules are needed. The county's public campaign follows earlier cases in which parole grants triggered a wave of public outrage and legal reviews.
State lawmakers have also floated changes, but a recent attempt to tighten elderly-parole eligibility failed in the Senate Public Safety Committee, highlighting how tough it is to move any reforms on this front, CBS Sacramento reported. That outlet noted CDCR data indicating low overall recidivism among those released under elderly parole, a statistic advocates point to when arguing against broad exclusions. For now, the sheriff’s office says it will keep pressing the parole board and pursue both ballot and legislative avenues while Tinoco's reported release date remains pending.
