October 1, 2026 – San Diego County Sheriff's Office officials are releasing new details about the disappearance of Sexually 
Violent Predator Merle Wakefield.
On Friday, September 25, around 3:30 a.m., Liberty Healthcare (LHC), which is responsible for supervising Wakefield as part of the State's Conditional Release Program, received an alert that the GPS monitoring device he was wearing was being tampered with while he was at work in the 16000 block of Via Esprillo in Rancho Bernardo.
When LHC personnel arrived at his workplace, they located Wakefield's GPS monitoring device and cell phone. Wakefield had already absconded from the scene.
LHC then notified San Diego Sheriff’s Office and San Diego Police Department. All law enforcement agencies in the region, as well as the public and media, were also alerted about Wakefield's disappearance.
Related: Sexually Violent Predator Sought by San Diego County Sheriff After Removing GPS Monitor
San Diego County Sheriff Issues Notification of Violent Sex Offender Release in Rural East County
There has been speculation from certain media outlets that Wakefield may be driving a 2018 white Toyota Camry. The Sheriff's Office has no credible reason to believe he is currently driving a vehicle matching that description.
Since Wakefield's disappearance, the Sheriff's Office and the San Diego Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement (SAFE) Task Force have been working closely with our law enforcement partners to locate him.
We continue to ask for the public's help in locating Wakefield. Someone out there knows where he is or may be headed.
If you see Wakefield, do not approach him. Contact your local law enforcement agency immediately or call 9-1-1. You can also remain anonymous by calling San Diego County Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
If you have information about Wakefield's whereabouts, we want to talk to you.
Because this is an active investigation, this is all the information that will be released at this time.
The Sheriff's Office will continue to provide updates as new information comes to light.
Source & photo: San Diego County Sheriff's Office