Andrew Luster Leaves Prison After Serving About 20 Years

The release of Andrew Luster, a California man convicted of sexually assaulting three women after drugging them, has drawn criticism from local officials concerned about public safety. Luster left state prison earlier this month after serving approximately 20 years and is reportedly living in Glendora, California, according to KTLA.

Luster was convicted in 2003 of 86 felony counts related to drugging and sexually assaulting three women at his beachfront home in Ventura County. Prosecutors said he used GHB to render the women unconscious before assaulting them.

His original sentence was 124 years in prison. A California judge set aside that sentence in March 2013 because the trial court had not adequately explained its reasons for imposing consecutive sentences, according to previous reporting by Fox News Digital.

Ventura County Superior Court Judge Kathryne Ann Stoltz rejected Luster's effort to overturn his convictions but granted him a new sentencing hearing. In April 2013, she resentenced him to 50 years in prison, The Associated Press reported.

Prosecutors opposed the reduced sentence, describing Luster's crimes as "cruel, vicious and callous."

Luster, the great-grandson of cosmetics mogul Max Factor, fled to Mexico in January 2003 while free on $1 million bail during his trial. He was convicted in absentia and later captured in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, by bounty hunter Duane "Dog" Chapman.

Glendora Mayor David Fredendall criticized Luster's release in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital, saying the reported move into the community had raised serious concerns.

"The City of Glendora is beyond disappointed. We are outraged," Fredendall said. "Andrew Luster was convicted of 86 felony counts stemming from the drugging and sexual assault of unconscious women.

He was originally sentenced to 124 years in prison. He has now been released from State prison and is reportedly residing in our community. This is unacceptable."

Fredendall also questioned how the release aligned with assurances made when California voters approved Proposition 57 in 2016. The voter-approved measure expanded parole consideration for certain offenders.

"When California voters approved Proposition 57 in 2016, they were assured by Governor Jerry Brown and his administration that dangerous offenders would remain behind bars," Fredendall said.

The mayor acknowledged that state officials might rely on sentencing calculations and credits to explain the timing but argued that those details did not resolve his concerns about public safety.

"The State may argue that this was not technically an early release. It can point to sentencing credits, legal calculations, and administrative requirements. However, those technical explanations do not address the larger concern: how an individual originally sentenced to 124 years in prison for heinous crimes is able to walk out of a secured facility after only 20 years," Fredendall said.

KTLA reported that Luster was denied parole in 2022 before receiving parole approval in 2024. Ventura County prosecutors successfully challenged that decision, and he was denied parole again in April 2025. He was subsequently expected to remain incarcerated until October 2026, when his calculated prison term would end.

Fredendall said Glendora was particularly concerned about Luster reportedly living near schools, parks, playgrounds, and other public spaces. He said the city's police department would coordinate with state parole authorities.

"Our Police Department will work with State parole authorities to ensure every applicable law and condition of supervision is followed. We will do everything within our lawful authority to protect our residents. But local governments should not be forced to shoulder the public-safety consequences of decisions made in Sacramento without adequate transparency and accountability," Fredendall said.

The mayor also called for more information from state officials about Luster's release and the measures governing his supervision.

"The victims deserve better. The people of Glendora deserve better. California must do better," Fredendall said.

California Assemblywoman Blanca E. Rubio, who represents the state's 48th Assembly District, also condemned the decision and questioned whether the parole system adequately protects victims and communities.

"I am outraged and deeply disturbed by the decision to grant parole to convicted serial rapist Andrew Luster. It is incomprehensible that an individual originally sentenced to 124 years in prison for such horrific crimes could be granted parole after serving approximately 20 years," Rubio said.

Rubio said she was working with local officials and law enforcement to obtain details about the circumstances surrounding Luster's release, including the conditions of his supervision.

"Our justice system is supposed to protect the innocent, hold violent criminals accountable, and provide victims with a sense of justice. Decisions like this undermine public confidence in that system and send a devastating message to survivors of sexual assault," Rubio said.

Fox News Digital said it had contacted the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to confirm Luster's release date, clarify the sentencing calculations that led to his release, and obtain details about his parole supervision.