Couple aids in capture of molester
By MICHAEL J. TITTINGER Daily Press Staff Writer
SMC — Shortly after settling in for Saturday’s fireworks show here for Celebrate America, Julie McGray and her boyfriend Manuel Monson were horrified at what they saw near the Corsair Field stage.
There dancing about, with children all around him, was Richard Francis Gibbons, a former co-worker of theirs and a convicted child molester. Earlier that day, the couple had read that police were on the lookout for Gibbons, whose parole violations restricted him from entering the city’s limits and being within 100 yards of places where children congregate. He was released from prison in June and had failed to register as a sex offender.
“He was within 50 yards of my grandkids. There were thousands of kids around him, it was upsetting,” recounted McGray on Thursday.“I was really pissed off.
“You don’t know if he might’ve picked up some innocent kid and tried to walk away with them.”
McGray described Gibbons as dancing like someone who hadn’t a care in the world, let alone a fugitive from justice. An article in the weekend edition of the Santa Monica Daily Press detailing police’s efforts to locate Gibbons, following his release from prison, caught their eyes. The couple had worked with Gibbons a few years ago at Dewey Pest Control in Santa Monica, that is until Gibbons was arrested at the workplace for violating his parole.
Both Monson and McGray had seen Gibbons around town on previous occasions — loitering on Stanford Street, eating ice cream on the Third Street Promenade — but weren’t aware he was wanted by police.
At 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, the Santa Monica Police arrested Gibbons, after he was detained by SMC officers at the college on the couple’s tip. He was arrested for a parole violation because he was in Santa Monica city limits.
“We are thankful for the assistance that the Santa Monica Daily Press was able to give in taking a sexual predator off the streets,” said SMPD Lt. Frank Fabrega on Thursday.
Earlier this month, the SMPD was contacted by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation regarding Gibbons’ release. On parole for molestation, he was ordered not to enter the cities of Santa Monica and El Segundo, not to have any contact with minor children, not to be within 100 yards of schools and parks, and to adhere to a strict curfew between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Gibbons was apparently disregarding all of the restrictions at the time police approached him on the field and escorted him into a campus building for detention.
Gibbons’ last known address, according to the California Megan’s law Web site, was in West Los Angeles, but he had been known to frequent Santa Monica. Police confirmed he was spotted on several occasions on the 1100 block of Stanford Street, where numerous juveniles live. He was drawn particularly to elementary school-age children, especially girls, according to police.
“I think they are heroes for following up.A lot of people don’t want to get involved and do what it takes,” said Dee Fozard, a Santa Monica resident who educates children about sexual predators.“That was a great thing.”
Fozard has taken a particular interest in sexual predators and education since a harrowing incident more than 20 years ago. While shopping in a K-mart in West Hollywood, a man tried to take her son,who was just 5 at the time.
Giving her son a 10-minute talk on what to do in the event a stranger tries to lure him away may have saved his life, she said.
“I thank God I taught him to fight,” said Fozard on Thursday.“The man threatened him and he screamed. I may not have him today.”
Fozard was proud to report her son, now 27, just received his degree from Indiana State University.
Fozard pointed to another telling example of the dangers that threaten children, which also occurred Saturday before the fireworks show at SMC. She said a lost child, apparently around 2 years old, was brought up onto stage in an attempt to locate the parents.
Approximately 20 minutes later, parents and child were reunited.
“Today, I would blame the parents, with the information and technology we have today,” said Fozard.“Parents need to be aware whether they live in Santa Monica or the ghetto. They need to teach their children to be aware. Something can happen at any place, any time.”
As for McGray, who has three grandchil-dren, and Monson, the father of two, they were just happy to do their part. After just happening to read the Daily Press article online before they headed out for Corsair Field, McGray said that spotting Gibbons dancing among the revelers was fate.
“I read about him in the morning and helped to catch him in the evening. What are the odds of that?” mulled McGray. “My adrenaline was pumping. I can’t imagine why he would go to Santa Monica College after the article.
“Where was his head at?”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 7, 2006. Read the original PDF.