WARNING FOR ALL PARENTS ACROSS SAN PEDRO:

WARNING FOR ALL PARENTS ACROSS SAN PEDRO: IF IT WASN?T FOR ONE VALIANT HERO, WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED TO THIS GIRL? THINK ABOUT IT; PLEASE WATCH FOR ALL KIDS, AS THIS PERSON DID, AND DO THE RIGHT THING

By Diana L. Chapman

My friend?s daughter ? who is in my carpool-- called and warned me right away Wednesday that school officials were keeping the kid?s inside the campus after school. The reason: a potential abduction nearly occurred in broad daylight near two of our most populated schools ? Dana Middle School and San Pedro High.

?Look for me inside the campus,? the 11-year-old spouted, not realizing that the story would send chills up and down my spine. It?s always been one of my biggest fears that a child I know could get kidnapped, including my own son.

Once I picked up my friend?s daughter, I asked if the middle school sent a warning home. She immediately pulled out a folded letter from the school. I?m pleased to say they did write a warning ? a little late, but thank God they did it. I?m assuming it took time for them to sort out the story, because a letter was sent home yesterday, on Oct. 13.

According to the letter, last Wednesday (Oct. 8), ?two Latino males, ages 20-30, driving in a two door, dark (shiny) blue Dodge pick-up truck, approached? a San Pedro High female student, making ?inappropriate remarks,? which I?m sure were of a sexual nature, and then the male passenger jumped out and tried to pull the student into the truck.

The suspects were both described as bald.

All I could think of was how terrified this girl must have been when those men tried to grab and drag her at the not-so-quiet 14th and Cabrillo streets about 5 p.m. which just shows how belligerent, brazen and fearless these guys are. At 5 p.m. at 14th and Cabrillo, there are still often dozens of kids around ? between the Boys and Girls Club and the schools ? games at Daniel?s Field, officials leaving the school and adults coming to pick up their children.

That doesn?t even mention 5 o?clock traffic, people coming home, residents shopping at Von's and running errands.

And here were these guys fearlessly trying to snatch a younghigh school girl into their vehicle.

This is why ? while so many people complain about parents driving their kids to school instead of allowing them to walk -- I completely understand why we all do it. What if this was your kid? Would you ever forgive yourself?

Fortunately for this girl, an adult intervened to help her ?fend him off? and I applaud whoever this person was. I?d like to thank him or her myself ? because this is the kind of person we need to help protect our kids. And thank God, again, that someone was brave and had the courage to not sit and wait until the police arrived.

But if this adult had waited, I shudder to think what might have happened.

A report has been filed with the Los Angeles Police Department ? and if you have any information regarding this matter, please call the school at (310) 241-1106 or the police department?s Harbor Division at (310) 548-7605.

While the Dana letter encouraged parents not to alarm their children, it does express an important point we need to make to all of our kids no matter what age they are.

?We do not want your children to be alarmed,? wrote Mary Argandona, an assistant principal at Dana Middle School, ?yet, as always, we ask that you stress with your children the need for them to be aware and alert of their surroundings at all times. All students walking home should do so in a group.?

Plus, I?m sad to say with the closure of the Daily Breeze supplement, More San Pedro, and it seems ? less coverage in the Daily Breeze of San Pedro crime ? we will have to rely on each other for this information.

Lately, I?ve been shocked to read in the small Daily Breeze crime blog about people being shot in the back repeatedly and other horrific shooting incidents that are no longer making as big news it in the big newspaper where we all look for our information.

Therefore, I recommend to parents, students and officials that e-mail blasts on stories like this are imperative to keep our residents -- and our children -- safe. Please pass this story on ? especially if you have friends whose children walk to school.

And that doesn't matter if it's Torrance, Wilmington or Palos Verdes. Everywhere potential incidents like this can happen.

This just gives me one more reason to tell my son ? who just can?t understand it ? why I make him call the minute he arrives somewhere and the minute he leaves. Over cautious? Absolutely. But then I don?t want to find out the hard way if I?m not.

And even then, there are no guarantees.

Forward this story -------------------------------PLEASE!

Neighborhood Watch Point Fermin area 10/15/08

Neighborhood Watch Point Fermin area

http://pointferminwatchdog.blogspot.com/

topics

1. l.a.p.d. officer joe buscaino was absent, Carol Anne Schmidt headed the meeting and updated us.

2. l.a.p.d caught 3 individuals who allegedly broke into a house on the 3000 block and kerckhoff, (location of robbery was a house for sale)

3. in harbor area, all crime is down except for motor vehicle theft and burglaries from motor vehicles

4. please review the Halloween brochure from l.a.p.d.

5. at around 3 p.m. on Friday, October 10th, on the 2600 blk of denison a house was broken into through open window/door
NOTE: of interest is the time of day that the break-in took place, it is similar to the following break-ins in neighborhood:
— daytime break-in on south-west corner green house of 29th and carolina street (through opened bathroom window) september 16, 2008 at around 3:00-4:15 p.m., no arrests
— daytime break-in, 2940 (?) kerckhoff about 7 weeks ago

6. mona gave update on her neighborhood
- on friday, october 10th, at around 8 p.m. a latino female was soliciting/selling att burglaries alarms, she entered a suv
- in the morning on friday, october 10th at 26th and carolina an arrest was made on 26st and carolina possibly related to the burglary that took place on the 3000 block and kerckhoff earlier in the day

7. complaint of a barking dog on 31st and kerckhoff, neighbor was briefed on the procedure to submit a complaint

8. executive meeting of the (?) update from mona, be aware of a new method of operation (M.O.) crime for harbor area — door knocking of residence while as 1-2 other individuals stand watch

9. individuals soliciting alarm system for sale in neighborhood, joe buscaino looked into this and said that l.a.p.d. was not involved, they have no license, no history of ever selling alarms

10. carol anne reviewed the Halloween brochure from l.a.p.d.,
the fire department at 16th and grand (fire station 48) gives out halloween candy so this is a safe place

11. jenni put in the publicity neighborhood watch in paper

12. the project to rid transient rv motor-homes in neighborhood has been successful in ridding transient rvs

13. car break-ins are happening during day and night

14. due to the approaching holiday season and the declining economy be on the alert to prevent more break-ins into cars, so, keep valuables out of car and out of sight

15. download application to install cameras, neighborhood watch section online

16. there is still a problem with kids crossing streets near dana middle school, principal Terry Ball and assistant principal Maria Dukesherer (310.241.1106) at Dana Middle School have been contacted and asked for suggestions/solutions to make children obey traffic lights and signs during before and after school hours, suggestions were to fine children of violations, place traffic police at corners, traffic control assistants

Dana Middle School
1501 South Cabrillo Avenue | San Pedro, CA 90731
Phone: (310) 241-1100 | Fax: (310) 514-9925

17. next meeting with police to be held thursday, october 16, at harbor pistol range on gaffey street at 6:30 p.m.

18. dana junior high school has a new security guard for the first time

19. ask jenni for flyer to advertise next meeting before halloween

20. to call watch commander (in the event there is no response from LAPD) (877) 275-5273 front desk

21. squatters in neighborhood at last month at 700 blk of 20th street

22. To eliminate a barking dog problem please go here:
http://www.laanimalservices.com/serv_barkingdog.htm

Binocular Guy and His Dirt Bike

Please forgive me for taking so long to send this announcement out. I just wanted to thank Joe Busciano for being the "Superb Senior Lead Officer" he is. I sent an e-mail last Monday about the (binocular) guy down the street from us riding his dirt bike at all hours of the night.

As I was driving home the next day Joe was over there to take care of the problem and successfully confiscated his unregistered dirt bike. It is now quiet in our neighborhood at night.

Thank you Joe! You are the greatest.

Please remember that our Neighborhood Watch group meets the 3rd Wed of every month (minus Dec). So I look forward to seeing you all again on October 15th at 6:30 at Point Fermin Elementary School. Jenny Maldonaldo has contacted the Daily Breeze and we hope to reach a broader amount of folks in our neighborhood.