ORANGE PARK, Fla. – The tragic story of 7-year-old Somer Thompson strikes a nerve with all of us. The little Florida girl never made it home from school Monday, and her body was later found in a near by Georgia landfill.
Somer Thompson's face, with chubby cheeks and thick brown bangs, still smiled from missing person posters plastered on nearly every utility pole along the mile-long route from her elementary school to her home.
On Thursday evening, a steady flow of people — many of them parents, clutching the hands of young children — walked down that same road toward Somer's house to support her grieving family with a candlelight vigil.
Around a tree across the street from the girl's house, supporters had created a memorial, leaving hundreds of stuffed animals, flickering candles, signs and balloons.
Child abduction strikes a nerve with all of us, and in the state of Texas alone there were nearly 60,000 children abductions last year. Kate Shields, executive director of Heidi Search Center, stopped by the SA Living Show Friday to share some ways we can help educate our children and ourselves to help limit child abductions. Click here to watch…
Kate was drawn to the center when she heard of disappearance of Mary Bea Perez during the 1990 Fiesta. Mary Bea was found a week later.
Shields says we should refresh our children’s memory about “tricky people.” A helpful tip she gave us was to use everyday examples of how the situation could quickly turn dangerous. Kate says to be honest without being graphic.
Kate’s tips are for everyone, not just children. She says supervision is the key to prevent abductions. She suggests children who are elementary to middle school be supervised directly by their parents, and older than middle school should be based on the maturity of the child. Parents should still have supervision over their children if they are older than middle school, but also know that they can depend on their friends or security officers if in a questionable situation.
Kate reminds us that it is never safe to let your children walk alone in deserted or dark areas, and to remember that education continues no matter what age you are.
Heidi Search Center for Missing Children & Adults
4115 Naco Perrin Blvd.
210.650,0428
heidisearchcenter.com
Sex offender registry
records.txdps.state.tx.us
