(KTLA) – The mayor of a Southern California community is “beyond disappointed” at the decision to let a convicted serial rapist – who also happens to be the heir to a cosmetics fortune – out of prison.

Glendora Mayor David Fredendall released a statement saying the community he leads is “outraged” at the fact that Andrew Stuart Luster now lives freely in the city.

A great-grandson of Max Factor Sr., who founded the cosmetics giant Max Factor, Luster was initially convicted in absentia in 2003 of 86 felony counts in connection with the drugging and raping of three women at his Ventura County beachfront home.

As the Los Angeles Times noted: “Luster … was convicted on 86 counts of rape and drug charges after a jury viewed videotapes he made of himself engaging in sexual acts with three women rendered unconscious by GHB.”

Luster’s trial gained international publicity because he fled to Mexico after posting $1 million bail in January 2003; he was captured months later in Puerto Vallarta by bounty hunter Duane “The Dog” Chapman, who was pursuing him with a TV crew, the New York Times reported.

Luster was eventually handed a 124-year prison sentence that was vacated in 2013 after a judge found that it was unusually long and needed to be reconsidered. He was eventually resentenced to 50 years “despite the vehement opposition of prosecutors,” according to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.

In 2016, California voters passed Prop 57, which meant that several of the crimes of which Luster was convicted were reclassified as “non-violent” crimes.

That qualified him for early release on parole, which was granted in 2024 by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation despite objections from all three victims, according to the DA’s Office. Luster had previously been denied in 2022.

The 2024 parole decision was successfully challenged by VCDA officials, and another hearing was automatically set for April 2025. He was also denied parole then, meaning he was to serve his sentence until October 2026, officials said.

Luster’s release date of October 2026 has arrived, and he is now a free man after 20 years of incarceration, according to Glendora Mayor David Fredendall.

“He has now been released from state prison and is reportedly residing in our community,” he said. “This is unacceptable.”

A statement Fredendall released on Friday expressed frustration at the fact that “a man convicted of repeatedly drugging and raping unconscious women [who] was sentenced to serve 124 years in prison has now been released after serving only 20 … under a sentencing framework that Proposition 57 helped create.”

“The City of Glendora has opposed Proposition 57 for years because of the very dangers this case exposes,” Fredendall’s statement reads in part. “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.”

Mayor Fredendall stressed that his constituents “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.”

“They deserve better than explanations that hide behind the mechanics of a deeply flawed system,” he said, also noting the suffering endured by the victims. “And we must not forget the women who survived these horrific crimes. Their suffering should never be diminished by a system that fails to fully recognize the severity of the crimes committed against them. Glendora stands alongside the victims of these crimes and reassures them that their pain and suffering will not go unnoticed.”

Mayor Fredendall said that the Glendora Police Department is going to work with state authorities to “ensure every applicable law and condition of supervision is followed” regarding Andrew Luster.

“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,” he said. “We are demanding answers from Sacramento. We expect transparency regarding the circumstances of this release, the conditions imposed, and the measures being taken to protect Glendora residents and surrounding communities.”

“The victims deserve better. The people of Glendora deserve better. California must do better,” he concluded. “This outcome does not reflect the justice these crimes demanded. It is unacceptable, and it should never be treated as business as usual.”

Also protesting the decision to grant Luster parole is State Assemblywoman Blanca E. Rubio (CA-48).

“The recent news of the parole granted to convicted rapist, Andrew Luster is disgusting and unacceptable,” she said. “I am working closely with local officials and law enforcement to stay informed about the circumstances of Luster’s release, the conditions of his parole, and the measures being taken to protect the residents of Glendora and surrounding communities.”