'The process is flawed': 2 sex offenders to be released, placed near Jellystone Park in Caledonia
Updated: 03/30/2021 04:17 PM
CALEDONIA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Wisconsin plans to allow two sexually violent offenders to live in a Caledonia home with a campground in its backyard.
Now, a state senator is calling foul and hopes a judge will put a hold on the living arrangements.
Caledonia has actually marked the neighborhood as out of bounds for sex offenders to live in.
However, the law allows the state to place these two men there regardless of what local laws say.
Caledonia's board has approved a lawsuit and local officials said the decision needs to be reversed.
"This makes absolutely no sense to me," said State Senator Van Wanggaard (R- Wis. 21).
Daniel Williams and Hung Tran were both convicted of sexually assaulting children decades ago. Wanggaard said they should not be allowed to live in this part of Caledonia because it's right next to Jellystone Park, a family campground.
"At any given time throughout the camping season, there are between two and three thousand children that are at that facility," said Wanggaard.
Both men have served their prison time and have been living in a state institution. They've been granted supervised release but the home they've been placed at has the community saying their concerns have been ignored.
"The county is absolutely against this placement, unequivocally," said Racine County Executive Jonathan Delagrave.
He said concerns raised by local cops fell on deaf ears.
"If our law enforcement agencies, if they chime in or weigh in that this is not a good placement, it's not a good placement," said Delagrave.
A court can fine Racine County $5,000 a day for preventing the men from moving in. Wanggaard has asked a judge to put the placement on hold, without the fine, to review the process.
"I think there wasn't enough information that was shared," said Wanggaard.
The men are set to be released into Caledonia by April 6. Wanggaard said the men have to go somewhere.
"By the Constitution you can't just force these people out in nowhere land either," said Wanggaard.
But he said putting them in this neighborhood is just wrong.
Published: 03/30/2021 12:40 PM
CALEDONIA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Racine County officials are upset two sex offenders will be released and placed in a home located near a park in the village of Caledonia.
The two offenders, Daniel R. Williams and Hung R. Tran, are scheduled to be released on or before April 6, and will reside at 9901 Saratoga Drive, Caledonia. Officials say both had sexual encounters with children as young as 3.
Racine County Executive Jonathan Delagrave and State Senator Van Wanggaard held a news conference Tuesday, March 30, to discuss their concerns over the placement.
"The process is flawed," said Racine County Executive Jonathan Delagrave.