The girl was reportedly strangled. We found out this morning by a disheartening series of events that she went to middle school with my daughter two blocks from our house. We live on the outskirts of town in a small community separated from the actual city.
There is a newly built community park right next to the middle school, however the park where she was found was a few miles from here in the downtown area.
This morning, a news reporter's actions proved to us that as much as we think we're teaching our kids about safety, we can never be sure they are getting the message.
This morning, our 11 year old son, "A" was playing with friends at the community park next to the school. A reporter from a KTXL Fox 40 news was there interviewing kids about the murder of the young girl.
She approached our son and asked if he knew "G". The girl has been identified but to my knowledge, her name hasn't been released. Our son told us that he heard of her and said he knew the girl's friend. He only knew 'something happened at the park" and since the reporter asked about the girl, he thought something must've happened to her.
The reporter asked him if he had the friend's phone #. "A" said he had it stored in his cell phone but he'd left his phone at home. The reporter gave "A" her phone to use and told him to call home and ask someone to get the girl's # out of his cell phone. We saw a strange # on caller ID. My bf answered. "A" said "Dad, can you get my phone and give me a #?" This is when we realized he'd left without his phone and assumed he was using a friend's phone as he has done on occasion. House rule is that you take your phone when you leave the house. I heard my bf say "COME HOME".
In less than 2 minutes, "A" was in the house. Long story short...the reporter urged "A" to get a ride home with some man that was at the park with his son. The reporter followed the man's car to our house and was waiting across the street for "A" to come back outside with the #.
When "A' told us he'd gotten a ride home from someone and a reporter was outside waiting for him, we about died. My bf, "V", a police officer, went outside to deal with the reporter and find out what man "A" had gotten into the car with. The man was gone. "A" said it was his friend's dad. (Not ok).
The reporter was waiting across the street. When "V" got outside he asked her name and to see her credentials. She said "Why?". He said 'lady are you effin kidding me?" She saw nothing wrong with her actions and when "V" started walking toward her, she started walking backwards and had the nerve to say "I don't feel comfortable with you". He told her she had nothing to fear and told her he was a police officer. He reminded her that she had talked to our son without permission, urged him to get in the car with a stranger and was sitting outside our home, waiting for our child to come out with another minor's phone #.
I'm furious with her actions and shocked that our son was so trusting because she was a 'tv reporter'. I will identify her if its ok with the mods.