A Turlock man previously imprisoned for rape and racking up three strikes, has been found suitable for parole by the State Board of Parole, the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office reported.

Michael Edwin Mayfield, 58, of Turlock had accumulated three strikes under California law. His first strike goes back to May 1987 and was for a robbery that he was convicted of and sentenced to three years in prison.

His second strike occurred just eight days after being paroled on November 26, 1988. Mayfield approached a woman who was working alone in a convenience store in Turlock. He used a ruse to get the woman’s attention, grabbed her by the throat, threw her to the ground, threatened to kill her and raped the woman inside the store. He was charged, convicted and sentenced to serve 13 years in prison.

In 1997, while on parole from prison for the rape conviction, Mayfield tested positive for methamphetamine. A violation of parole warrant was issued which resulted in his arrest on May 8, 1997. Police found methamphetamine in his pants pocket and a drug kit with baggies and hypodermic syringes under the driver’s seat. Mayfield was charged with transporting methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine, possessing a syringe without a prescription and lying to officers about his name. He was also charged with having two prior “strike” convictions making him eligible for a life sentence. He was sentenced to 27 years to life.

During the parole hearing, Deputy District Attorney Amy Elliott Neumann argued against release for Mayfield, citing his repeated failures at parole, his extensive and violent criminal record, his record of prison discipline and his failure to complete rehabilitative programming for sex offenders.

The Board of Parole Hearings disagreed, finding that Mayfield had engaged in effective drug rehabilitation programming to deal with the drug addiction he struggled with since he was 13 years old and did not represent an unreasonable risk of danger to the community, making him suitable for parole.

The Board directed Mayfield to maintain his sobriety, live in transitional housing and engage in sex offender rehabilitation programming. He will be required to register with law enforcement as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

The Board’s decision now advances to the Decision Review Unit which has 120 days to review the grant of parole. If the Decision Review Unit approves the decision, Governor Newsom will then have 30 days to reverse, modify, refer to the full Board, or let the grant of parole stand.