Andrew Luster, the great-grandson of cosmetics mogul Max Factor, has been released from California state prison after serving approximately 20 years of a sentence that once totaled 124 years, and local officials say he is now living in Glendora, a city in Los Angeles County near the Ventura County border.
Luster was convicted in 2003 on 86 felony counts for drugging and sexually assaulting three women at his beachfront home in Ventura County. Prosecutors said he used the drug GHB to render the women unconscious before assaulting them. He fled to Mexico in January 2003 while out on $1 million bail, was convicted in absentia, and was later captured in Puerto Vallarta by celebrity bounty hunter Duane “Dog” Chapman.
His original 124-year sentence did not stand. In March 2013, a California judge set it aside, ruling that the trial court had failed to adequately justify consecutive sentencing. Ventura County Superior Court Judge Kathryne Ann Stoltz upheld his convictions but ordered a new sentencing hearing, and in April 2013 resentenced him to 50 years, according to The Associated Press. Prosecutors had opposed the reduction, calling Luster’s crimes “cruel, vicious and callous.”
Luster was denied parole in 2022 and then granted parole in 2024, a decision Ventura County prosecutors successfully challenged. He was denied parole again in April 2025, and under his calculated prison term he was expected to remain incarcerated until October 2026, according to KTLA. His release earlier this month came before that date.
Local officials react
Glendora Mayor David Fredendall condemned the release in a statement.
“The City of Glendora is beyond disappointed. We are outraged. 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 tied the release to Proposition 57, the 2016 voter-approved measure that 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. 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.”
The mayor also raised concerns about Luster reportedly living near schools, parks, playgrounds and other community spaces.
“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 city is demanding further information from state officials about the release and about what measures are being taken to protect residents.
“The victims deserve better. The people of Glendora deserve better. California must do better.”
State lawmaker calls for answers
California Assemblywoman Blanca E. Rubio, who represents the state’s 48th Assembly District, also criticized the decision.
“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 the decision raises questions about whether California’s parole system adequately protects victims and communities.
“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 she is working with local officials and law enforcement to learn more about the circumstances of Luster’s release and the conditions of his supervision.
The outlet reporting this story said it has contacted the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation seeking confirmation of Luster’s release date, clarification of the sentencing calculations that led to his release, and details about his parole supervision.
