A California man convicted of drugging and raping three women, and initially sentenced to 124 years in prison, has been released after serving about two decades behind bars. The release has drawn fierce criticism from local officials, who warn that it could pose a public safety risk.
Andrew Luster, the great-grandson of cosmetics magnate Max Factor, left state prison earlier this month and is reportedly living in Glendora, California, KTLA reported.
Glendora Mayor David Fredendall denounced the decision in a statement obtained by News Outlet, saying it was unacceptable that a convicted serial rapist was reportedly residing in the city.
“The City of Glendora is beyond disappointed. We are outraged,” Fredendall said. “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.”
Max Factor cosmetics heir Andrew Luster is escorted to a car by a law enforcement officer on June 19, 2003, after arriving at Los Angeles International Airport. Luster, who had been wanted since January 3, was arrested in Mexico and returned to the United States to serve a 124-year sentence for videotaping the rape of three women after drugging them unconscious. (Getty Images)
Luster was convicted in 2003 on 86 felony counts related to the drugging and sexual assault of three women at his beachfront residence in Ventura County.
According to prosecutors, he used GHB to incapacitate the women before sexually assaulting them.
While free on $1 million bail during his trial, Luster fled to Mexico in January 2003. He was convicted in absentia and later apprehended in Puerto Vallarta by celebrity bounty hunter Duane “Dog” Chapman.
Although Luster initially received a 124-year sentence, a California judge set it aside in March 2013 after determining that the trial court had not adequately explained its reasons for imposing consecutive sentences, as previously reported by News Outlet.
Ventura County Superior Court Judge Kathryne Ann Stoltz declined to overturn Luster’s convictions but ordered a new sentencing hearing.
Max Factor heir Andrew Luster stands during a break in his trial at Ventura County Superior Court in Ventura, California, on Dec. 17, 2002. Luster, an heir to the Max Factor cosmetics fortune, was charged with raping three women after rendering them unconscious with the date-rape drug gamma hydroxybutyrate, or GHB. (Anacleto Rapping/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Stoltz resentenced Luster to 50 years in prison in April 2013, according to The Associated Press.
Prosecutors objected to the shorter sentence, calling Luster’s conduct “cruel, vicious and callous.”
His release has reignited debate over California’s criminal justice system, including Proposition 57, the voter-approved 2016 measure that broadened parole consideration for certain inmates.
KTLA reported that Luster was denied parole in 2022 but granted parole in 2024. Ventura County prosecutors successfully challenged that decision, leading to another parole denial in April 2025.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Trump’s Private Fury at Fox Goes Public Ahead of Midterms
He was then expected to remain in custody until October 2026, when his calculated prison term was set to expire, the outlet reported.
Fredendall said the case calls into question the assurances California voters received when they approved Proposition 57.
“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,” Fredendall said.
“The State may argue that this was not technically an early release. It can point to sentencing credits, legal calculations, and administrative requirements,” the mayor continued. “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.”
California Assemblywoman Blanca E. Rubio also condemned the release in a statement obtained by News Outlet.
This handout photo showing Andrew Luster, heir to the Max Factor cosmetics fortune, was released by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department on January 8, 2003, in Ventura, California. (Ventura County Sheriff’s Department/Getty Images)
“I am outraged and deeply disturbed by the decision to grant parole to convicted serial rapist Andrew Luster,” Rubio said. “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, who represents California’s 48th Assembly District, said the decision raises questions about the state’s parole system and whether it 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,” she said. “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 surrounding Luster’s release, including the conditions of his supervision.
Fredendall also expressed concern 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,” Fredendall said. “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.”
The mayor said the city is demanding additional information from state officials about the release and measures being taken to protect residents.
“The victims deserve better. The people of Glendora deserve better. California must do better,” Fredendall said.
News Outlet has reached out to 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.
