East County residents will have to wait until January to find out if they'll have a sexually violent predator as a neighbor.
A handful of Jacumba residents voiced their concerns about sharing their hometown with 39-year-old Mikel Marshall.
Marshall spent 14 years in prison for molesting four young boys between 1992 and 1994.
In August, Marshall was deemed safe to be released into society.
Judge Howard Shore has postponed any decision until he is able to drive to the proposed address where the sexually violent predator would live in Jacumba.
Residents argued the backcountry has become a dumping ground for sexually violent predators the city doesn't want.
They say Jacumba has little to no services, delayed response times, and only one store which is near a school.
“There are no services out in this area. Little to none. And to continue to place the sexually violent predators in our rural backcountry is not only short sighted, it’s foolish,” said San Diego County Supervisor Dianne Jacob.
Residents argued that Marshall would be able to see children playing from his yard if he's allowed to live at the proposed address.
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Despite the concerns, attorneys on both sides recommended Marshall be placed at the proposed address.
A representative from the company that would be monitoring Marshall explained he would seldom be alone, would be tracked by GPS and would be accompanied to places like the store and therapy appointments.
The judge said once he checks out the residence himself, he will issue his decision.
A hearing has been scheduled for January 13.
