Andrew Luster Release Sparks Outrage in Glendora

Convicted serial rapist Andrew Luster was released to parole supervision on October 11 — the Andrew Luster parole decision now roiling Southern California — after serving 20 years in California state prison, sparking outrage in Glendora, where the Max Factor heir is reportedly now living. The release has reignited debate over the state's sentencing and parole laws.

Luster, the great-grandson of cosmetics magnate Max Factor, was convicted in 2003 on 86 felony counts — including poisoning, rape, sodomy and oral copulation — for drugging and sexually assaulting unconscious women. A jury viewed video he had made of himself engaging in sexual acts with women rendered unconscious by GHB, the so-called date-rape drug. He was originally sentenced to 124 years in prison, later reduced to 50 years in 2013 as part of a habeas corpus petition.

Andrew Luster freed after 20 years despite 124-year sentence

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said the Andrew Luster parole was granted "after serving his full sentence as required by law," noting he had accumulated 977 days of work time and good conduct credit toward his release date. "This is not an early release," the department said, according to reports by Oxygen and other outlets.

The Andrew Luster case drew international attention in 2003 when the Max Factor heir fled to Mexico after posting $1 million in bail, only to be captured in Puerto Vallarta by bounty hunter and reality television personality Duane "Dog" Chapman. He had previously been denied parole in 2022; a 2024 parole grant was challenged by Ventura County prosecutors, and he was denied again in April 2025 before his scheduled October 2026 release date arrived.

Ventura County Senior Deputy District Attorney Anthony Wold said after a 2025 hearing that Luster "should serve his full sentence," adding: "He's earned it."

Glendora condemns the Andrew Luster release

Glendora Mayor David Fredendall issued a furious statement on October 16 in response to the Glendora release, saying the city was "beyond disappointed" and "outraged." The city's official press release states: "A man convicted of repeatedly drugging and raping unconscious women was sentenced to serve 124 years in prison, has now been released after serving only 20 years in prison, under a sentencing framework that Proposition 57 helped create."

Fredendall argued that residents "should not have to worry about their safety because of a decision by the State that allows an individual with a history of rape and violence to now live in close proximity to schools, parks, playgrounds, churches, and community centers."

The mayor pointed to the 2016 voter-approved measure that reclassified certain offences as non-violent, making them eligible for earlier parole consideration. "The City of Glendora has opposed Proposition 57 for years because of the very dangers this case exposes," his statement reads.

Proposition 57 debate reignited by Andrew Luster parole case

The Andrew Luster case has become a flashpoint in California's ongoing debate over criminal justice reform. Supporters of the measure argue it was designed to reduce overcrowding by rewarding rehabilitation among non-violent offenders; critics say cases like Luster's expose dangerous gaps in how offences are classified.

The state maintains the release followed the law to the letter. But for Glendora officials and Luster's victims, the technical explanations offer little comfort. "The victims deserve better. The people of Glendora deserve better. California must do better," Fredendall said.

Luster, 62, remains under parole supervision following the Glendora release. The story has trended nationally on Google Trends in the United States, drawing more than 200,000 searches as the public absorbs the reality that a man once sentenced to 124 years is now free.