Man sentenced to 3 life terms for Chico rapes arrested in Sacramento County after parole compliance check

A parolee who had been previously sentenced to three life terms plus 51 years for sexual assaults in Chico was arrested in Sacramento County after sheriff's detectives said they found multiple substances and a device believed to be used to evade law enforcement.

The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office said it conducted a compliance check of 47-year-old Lloyd Clinton Edwards, a registered sex offender, at his residence Thursday evening.

Detectives detained Edwards and searched his home, where they found "multiple substances" that the sheriff's office said violated his parole conditions.

Investigators also found a device in the trunk of Edwards' vehicle they said was "likely used to evade law enforcement detection."

Edwards was arrested and booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail, the sheriff's office said.

The department said Edwards was convicted of rapes committed in Chico in 2000.

Questions about Edwards' parole

The arrest comes after the sheriff's office previously raised questions about how Edwards was released on parole after serving about two decades of his sentence.

The department said Edwards was granted parole in 2022 by California's Board of Parole Hearings. His original parole eligibility reportedly would not have come until he was 95.

The sheriff's office has questioned why Edwards was released and allowed to live in Sacramento County.

The Board of Parole Hearings conducts parole suitability hearings for eligible incarcerated people. Outcomes can include grants, denials and postponements.

The 2000 attacks

Law enforcement officials said two young women agreed to give Edwards a ride after he told them his vehicle had broken down.

Investigators said Edwards pulled a gun, held one woman by the neck and forced her to a secluded area, where he sexually assaulted and raped her. The other woman was left alongside a rural road, according to the sheriff's office.

Officials said Edwards then stole the women's purses and the driver's rings. The sheriff's office said DNA testing later matched semen found in the vehicle to Edwards.

Weeks later, investigators said Edwards gained entry to another woman's apartment after asking to use her phone.

The sheriff's office said he forced the woman into a bedroom, threatened her with a razor blade, punched her in the mouth and strangled her during an attempted sexual assault. Before leaving, officials said, Edwards warned her not to call police because he knew where she lived.

In another incident, Edwards entered the apartment of a college classmate without permission, according to the sheriff's office. The woman had just showered and was wearing only a towel, officials said.

The woman locked herself in a bedroom and hid under a bed while Edwards remained inside the apartment for about 90 minutes before leaving, according to investigators.

Sheriff questions what happens next

The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office said Edwards will likely be released again within five to 10 days because of the parole violation.

The department said the case raises questions about the state's parole system and called on the Board of Parole Hearings to explain the decision that led to Edwards' release.

The sheriff's office has not alleged that Edwards committed a new sexual assault or other new crime since his release.

CBS News Sacramento has reached out to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the Board of Parole Hearings for additional information about Edwards' parole decision, the conditions of his release and the latest alleged violations. We have not yet heard back.