‘Pillowcase rapist’ gets life term for kidnapping woman
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — In 2019, Ronald Feldmeier, known as the “pillowcase rapist” for a series of sexual assaults in Sacramento, was released from prison after spending more than three decades behind bars. He settled in Bakersfield.
It wasn’t long until he again broke the law. First, he failed to register as a sex offender.
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Then, even more seriously, he picked up a homeless woman and refused to let her leave, prompting her to jump from his moving vehicle to escape.
Feldmeier, 72, won’t get another opportunity to lead a law-abiding life.
Judge John R. Brownlee on Wednesday sentenced him to 25 years to life plus 13 years in prison. Feldmeier, seated next to Deputy Public Defender Jacob Evans, showed no reaction.
Brownlee said he doesn’t know what factors the Board of Parole Hearings considered in deciding Feldmeier was a suitable candidate for parole and no longer a threat.
But, he said, they got it wrong.
“As this case shows, that finding by the parole board was wrong, and their decision to grant parole was inappropriate,” the judge said.
Prosecutor Leanne Wilder agreed. Feldmeier should not have been given a second chance, she said after the hearing.
“He’s going back to where he deserves to be,” she said. “He’s a predator. He preys on vulnerable females.”
Feldmeier’s Bakersfield cases
Early June 26, Feldmeier picked up a woman outside a fast food restaurant and began driving. The woman told authorities she willingly got in the vehicle, but when she asked to get out Feldmeier wouldn’t stop.
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She jumped from the vehicle after Feldmeier ignored repeated requests to pull over, the woman told police. Officers noted she had injuries consistent with leaping from a moving vehicle.
Feldmeier admitted picking her up but denied holding her against her will, according to court documents. He told police the woman began acting strange before she opened the passenger door and jumped.
He was convicted in March of kidnapping.
Last year, Feldmeier was found guilty of failing to register as a sex offender and sentenced to six years in prison.
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