Sexual Predator Caught – Fallout From LASD Cover-Up Continues

The suspect in a sexual assault in the civic center area was apprehended Wednesday morning at 6:16 a.m., during a vehicle stop near the 19100 block of PCH as confirmed by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department.

Identified as Matthew Fairchild, born 6-10-1985, from La Grange Georgia is in currently in custody with bail set at $1 million dollars.

The news of the sexual assault was released by our publication Monday afternoon after we were contacted by a resident living in the complex where the assault occurred. The resident, very concerned about the handling of this incident by the deputies, and the failure to release a Public Safety Alert by the Lost Hills Station (the suspect was still at large), asked for our assistance to alert the community.

Deputies arrived at the scene in the early morning hours of February 8th, engaging in inappropriate questioning of the victim and demeaning behavior, although there was extensive footage of Fairchild roaming the halls of the buildings, and committed lewd acts captured on the security cameras. The officers did not interview the security guard, or review footage at the scene, and minimized the crime to “trespassing”. No report was taken.

The victim contacted the Lost Hills station later that day to file a complaint against the officers. The Watch Sargent on duty dispatched deputies to the scene again to take a thorough report.

Upon learning the details of the incident, The Local Malibu forwarded the information directly to Sheriff Villanueva, who has an open door policy with local activists and watchdogs, informing him of the gross mishandling of the sexual assault, and the cover-up of the crime by the Lost Hills Station.

While the news of the sexual predator on the loose, and LASD’s failure to release a public safety alert, reverberated through the community, Sheriff’s Department headquarters went into damage control immediately, releasing a bulletin with suspect information, and prepared for a changes in personnel at the Lost Hills Station.

The fallout from LASD Headquarters included the transfer and demotion of Captain, Matt Vander Horck, and removal of the officers involved from patrol, placing them on administrative duties pending further investigation. Acting Captain Chuck Becerra, who was in charge of the Lost Hills Station before Vander Horck, has returned to run the station.

The Local Malibu received the details leading to Fairchild’s capture Wednesday morning shortly after his arrest on PCH. According to our sources, Fairchild had been seen around the community for quite some time, performing odd jobs. A community member who had hired him from time to time recognized his photo on the LASD Bulletin and contacted authorities immediately. The community member supplied video footage of the suspect’s vehicle and license plate information captured on his security cameras and continued to work with authorities exclusively until the suspect was captured.

Fairchild has a history of drug use and potential acts of violence arrested in Florida in July, 2015, for assault with intent to commit bodily harm, again for the same charge in Santa Monica, July, 2018. He also has repeated arrests for drug possession in Ventura County, Santa Monica, throughout 2018/19, and was in Lost Hills Station custody for possession of a controlled substance in 2018.