CO - Jessica Ridgeway, 10, Westminster, 5 Oct 2012 - #1

[Cubby]

Too close for comfort for me. My grandbabies live right there. ( My daughter said they were helping to look this morning. She said there were 2 attempts by a man trying to get kids in his car in that area last week. I am hoping the dad has Jessica safe and sound somewhere, because I sure don't like the sound of an abduction.

BBM. If this is true, I can't imagine allowing children to walk to and from school alone after known attempts at child abduction just the week prior.

I'd like to know more about these 2 attempts. Was it when the children were enroute to or from school?

How are parents/the community notified of these attempts to lure a child into a car in this area? Here, the schools send out an automated message to those with kids in the school district. Our local police also have an automated telephone alert system which automatically notifies all residents with published telephone numbers. Those with non published telephone numbers can contact the local police to add their number.

Was there an alert of some sort telephoned to the residents in the area where two abduction attempts were made a week ago? Or do the residents rely solely on their local news for this info?

 

[KaylynnCouture]

Really? Come back in the morning? Also, hope they are looking at those folks who weren't home last night.


​

An article this morning (I think it was on the Denver Post's website) said that LE was working this morning on re-interviewing people, including those who weren't home last night.

 

[woodlawn]

I don't think it's at all cool to be second-guessing this poor woman for letting a 10 year walk three blocks to school. Some folks obviously feel differently, but is this really the time or place? This was not remotely negligent on her part, so common decency, it seems to me, is to show sympathy, whatever you may be thinking.

 

[peeples]

General question......
WHY do parents allow children to walk 3 blocks to school alone? WhY?
This little girls reminds me of one of my bff's daughters (who lives in another state.)
I pray she is found safe.
imo

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/201...issing-colo-girl10-dozens-search-neighborhood

Simply.. some parents don't have a choice

My kids no longer walk since Lyric and Elizabeth went missing, for me I had a choice though and my kids needed the exercise, which is why i used to let them walk, thinking they would be safe in a group.

Here in my town if you live more than a mile from the school the bus is free. If you live less than a mile the bus costs $30 a month per child. Some families don't have that money and lack a vehicle to get the kids to and from. For others they lack the money and have to be at work before the kids leave for school.
It is what it is sadly. Some kids have to walk to and from and some kids have to be latch key.

 

[winterrose]

I guess they've checked the vacant homes along the way, did she make it to the park? Alot of homeless live at parks, or anyone could have been watching her since school started. I've not read any news of her school things being found yet. I wonder if they've verified mother was at work the whole shift, not saying it has anything to do with the mother, but I read there's a father living somewhere else, so was wondering custody issues. They already said the father knows nothing, so far. I'm looking to see if they've mentioned construction on houses in the area, with the workers, etc.

 

[KaylynnCouture]

I wouldn't let my children walk to school (and we live in one of the safest places in the country). Regardless, I wouldn't judge a mother (or really think anything differently about a mother) who allowed her child to walk to school, especially age 10 (now age 5 or so, that's different).

If Jessica usually walked with friends, I'm sure the mother viewed it as a very little risk that something would happen.

I can't imagine what she's going through right now.

On a side note, I can't believe there have been NO witnesses come forward so far.

Does anyone know if a tip line, and a reward, has been set up?

 

[cakegirl0905]

This is SO close to me. There have been three attempted abductions here in the past year, 1 in Lafayette at a bus stop and 2 of them in Arvada which is not that far. I wonder if it is the same person.

 

[winterrose]

Any news on who watches her all night while mother is working? She said she watched her leaving from her door, but haven't read if she picked her up on her way home from work yet.

 

[Cubby]

Any news on who watches her all night while mother is working? She said she watched her leaving from her door, but haven't read if she picked her up on her way home from work yet.

One of the MSM articles linked upthread indicated Jessica lives with her mother, grandmother and aunt.

hth

 

[winterrose]

Spottke said police and firefighters went door-to-door Friday along the route from Jessica's house to the school, asking residents for permission to search inside their homes and in their yards.

All but a few people complied, she said. Some people said they have small children and asked authorities to return the next morning when the kids were awake to search, she said. In other cases, no one was home.

http://www.denverpost.com/breakingn...ght-search-fails-find-10-year-old-westminster

 

[winterrose]

One of the MSM articles linked upthread indicated Jessica lives with her mother, grandmother and aunt.

hth

So, three adults living in the house, thanks Cubby, just read that at the end of the article. So I guess they'll also question if the Mom or Sister was seeing anyone, etc. Whoever took her had all day to get away.

 

[Footwarrior]

I guess they've checked the vacant homes along the way, did she make it to the park? Alot of homeless live at parks, or anyone could have been watching her since school started.

I have never seen a homeless person hanging out in any of the parks in the neighborhoods near where Jessica disappeared.

 

[HeinekenMan]

I don't have exact numbers, but a child being abducted by a stranger on the way to school is relatively unlikely. It doesn't mean that we shouldn't take precautions. But it's a little much to criticize someone. Stuff happens. People are killed in car accidents. But people still drive cars. People rob shoppers. But people still shop. Kids are abducted walking to school. But kids still walk to school.

In some cases, parents are grossly negligent and do stupid things. But I don't see that as the case in this instant. Perhaps she should have been slightly more cautious. But the girl walked three blocks. My son is 9. He walks our dog up and down our street. I have talked to him about being careful. But I can't lock him in the house. When he grows up, he's going to remember those wonderful walks with his dog. We can't stop living just because there are bad people in the world.

 

[wantjustice]

Oh geez, I am catching up and sure it was discussed but so sad mom didn't get call until 4 pm. I know the school tried but that is so sad. So much time passed and she never made it to school. So very sad!

 

[HeinekenMan]

I have never seen a homeless person hanging out in any of the parks in the neighborhoods near where Jessica disappeared.

I don't know the area. But most homeless people enter a park after dusk and leave before or at dawn. Our baseball park never has homeless people loitering around. But I went there early one morning to drag a field, and there was a man packing up his stuff in a dugout.

 

[Knox]

BBM. If this is true, I can't imagine allowing children to walk to and from school alone after known attempts at child abduction just the week prior.

I'd like to know more about these 2 attempts. Was it when the children were enroute to or from school?

How are parents/the community notified of these attempts to lure a child into a car in this area? Here, the schools send out an automated message to those with kids in the school district. Our local police also have an automated telephone alert system which automatically notifies all residents with published telephone numbers. Those with non published telephone numbers can contact the local police to add their number.

Was there an alert of some sort telephoned to the residents in the area where two abduction attempts were made a week ago? Or do the residents rely solely on their local news for this info?

Arvada Police are investigating two reports of child enticement where a child was approached by a stranger offering candy and asking them to get into the stranger’s car . These incidents took place on Sunday, September 9 and Wednesday, September 12.

The suspect is described as a white male, 20 - 40 years of age, brown hair with no facial hair or glasses. The vehicle used in these incidents is a royal blue 4-door sedan.

http://arvada.org/pages/arvada-poli...arning-parents-about-recent-child-enticements

This was brought up last night. One parent actually linked the letter she received, it's upstream somewhere if anyone cares to look back.

 

[TreeClimbingGirl]

Some have mentioned attempted child lurings in Arvada. There are several articles about this on the web, here's one of them:

http://denver.cbslocal.com/2012/09/...ase-sketch-in-child-enticement-investigation/

Quote:
The vehicle used in these incidents is described as a royal blue – similar to the blue worn by the University of Kentucky – 4-door sedan, possibly from the mid 90s.


Arvada and Westminster are about 15 minutes apart:

https://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF...8-o&ei=qjJwUPDTEPKD0QGJm4H4Dg&ved=0CCEQ9w8wAA

I have no reason to believe this person is involved in Jessica's disappearance, but figured I'd post this info since it's been mentioned in prior posts.

Holy cow, go to that link and look at the sketch, then look at the picture for the sidebar story, "Colorado Mug Shots". They are like twins! :what:

(I'm sure it's just a coincidence, not saying they are related in any way, etc.)

 

[Cubby]

I don't think anyone is accusing the mom or insinuating she did anything wrong.
I asked previously about reported attempted abductions in this immediate neighborhood reportedly about a week ago. A question as to whether these attempts to lure a child in a car a week ago are true and if true how residents were notified imo is a valid question.

 

[Knox]

http://twitter.com/Meagan9News

Meagan Fitzgerald ‏@Meagan9News Officer says family of #jessicaridgeway does not want to speak. They say all we would see is a family devastated and crying.

I feel so awful for this poor Mom!!!!!

 

[sfbaynancydrew]

I've let my kids walk to school since they were Jessica's age. We definitely all have different opinions on the subject--as it is now, in middle and high school they ride their bikes almost 1.5 miles. Our neighborhood is safe, they need the exercise and they need to learn how to independently navigate the world.

HAVING SAID THAT....I have driven them every single day for almost five weeks now. Why? We had two high school abduction attempts the first week of school and the person is still on the loose. I might be more of a "free range" parent, but I sure as heck am not going to invite trouble either.

We also recently, in the south bay, had a successful elementary school abduction out of the girl's bathroom on school grounds, DURING SCHOOL HOURS. Thank goodness the girl fought the guy off halfway down the street and took off running. These perverts will stop at nothing and there is only so much you can do to keep your kids safe.