Full Breakdown
Andrew Luster Paroled After Two Decades Behind Bars
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Release Details
Andrew Luster, the great-grandson of cosmetics magnate Max Factor, was released to parole supervision in early October 2026 after serving roughly 20 years of a sentence that began with a 124-year term for 86 felonies, including drugging and raping three women. The parole decision was linked to voter-approved Proposition 57, which allows determinate-sentence inmates to reduce time through work and good-conduct credits; Luster received 977 days of pre-sentence credit and earned additional credits while incarcerated. Local reports indicate he is now residing in Glendora, prompting city officials to demand transparency about supervision conditions.
Legal Background
Luster’s 2003 conviction resulted in a 124-year sentence that a Ventura County Superior Court vacated in 2013 for procedural reasons. The sentence was later reduced to 50 years, and subsequent hearings denied early parole despite the defendant’s eligibility for credit-earning opportunities. Proposition 57, passed by California voters in 2016, altered parole eligibility for non-violent offenses and introduced credit mechanisms that applied to Luster’s case, even though his crimes were classified as non-violent under current law.
Official Responses
Mayor David Fredendall of Glendora expressed outrage and called for answers from state legislators regarding the parole terms and community safety measures. State Assemblywoman Blanca E. Rubio described the decision as “deeply disturbing” and questioned the accountability of California’s parole system. The city’s statement reiterated demands for transparency and protection for residents.
Criticism & Opposition
Ann Marie Schubert, former Sacramento County District Attorney and CEO of the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation, noted that California law still treats Luster’s offenses as non-violent despite legislative attempts to change that classification, calling the outcome “an absolute travesty of justice.” Critics argue that the narrow 2024 legislative amendment did not encompass rape of an unconscious person, leaving victims without recourse.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The City of Glendora is beyond disappointed. We are outraged,” — Mayor David Fredendall
- “The State may argue that this was not technically an early release. It can point to sentencing credits, legal calculations, and administrative requirements,” — David Fredendall, mayor
- “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.” — David Fredendall, mayor
- “The Legislature finally acted in 2024, but for Luster’s victims, it was too late,” — Ann Marie Schubert
- “Luster engaged in sadistic sexual abuse of their comatose bodies,” — Eric Nasarenko, district attorney
- “By drugging his victims into a coma-like state, Andrew Luster played Russian roulette with the lives of his victims so he could abuse their comatose bodies,” — Senior Deputy District Attorney