Most days, children of all ages run around the courtyards of a sprawling Oak Park apartment complex. They dash in and out of one another's homes, play video games, goof off with their friends. Posted on 07/18/2002 9:40:01 AM PDT by FresnoDA
July 18, 2002
Most days, children of all ages run around the courtyards of a sprawling Oak Park apartment complex. They dash in and out of one another's homes, play video games, goof off with their friends.
But yesterday, no children were out playing. Hardly anyone was outside.
All afternoon, school buses dropped off many of the 300 children who live here, but within minutes they were gone, spending a beautiful sunny day inside because their parents were afraid for their safety.
Afraid because, on Tuesday, someone tried to snatch an 8-year-old girl outside the 500-unit complex. In the middle of the afternoon. In front of the manager's office. And with numerous other children in sight.
"We were caught off guard," said Marlena Lewis, coordinator of an after-school program at the apartment complex and the person who called police. "I mean, it happened in broad daylight. The highway's right there. He could have gotten her in the car and they would have been long gone."
The girl was waiting at a bus stop with her older sister near Bayview Heights Place about 4 p.m. when a man tried to grasp her arm and drag her into his vehicle. The girl broke free, police spokesman Bill Robinson said. She was upset but not hurt.
The incident has residents especially afraid because it came just a day after 5-year-old Samantha Runnion was abducted in Orange County. Samantha's body was found Tuesday; her killer has not been caught.
Residents are afraid, too, because the memories are still fresh of 7-year-old Danielle van Dam, who was kidnapped from her Sabre Springs home in the middle of the night in February and later found slain. And of 2-year-old Jahi Turner, reported missing from Golden Hill by his stepfather in April. He has not been found.
So, residents of the Oak Park apartments are keeping their children under a watchful eye and behind closed doors.
"It's deserted; it's like a ghost town," said Shrrell Archie, as she sat on the stoop leading to her apartment.
Her 9-year-old son, Eddie Anderson, was inside watching TV because she won't let him out to play.
"It's a shame to keep your kids prisoner," Archie said. "But I won't let him out of the house until they catch" the would-be abductor.
Police were cautious in making any link between the Oak Park incident and the Orange County case, although they did note similarities.
In the Orange County case, authorities are seeking a Latino with thick black hair and a thin black mustache who was driving a green compact car. They have described him as a potential serial killer who could strike again. He is believed to be in his 20s or 30s.
The man suspected of trying to kidnap the girl in Oak Park was described as Latino, in his mid-40s, with black hair and a mustache. He is about 5 feet 5 inches with a medium to heavy build and may be wearing braces. He was driving a tan or gold van.
On the day the Oak Park abduction attempt occurred, authorities in San Diego, particularly along the border, were looking for the Orange County kidnapper, thinking he might try to drive through San Diego on the way to Mexico.
Residents of the surrounding Oak Park neighborhood are working to get the word out about the attempted kidnapping. Margo Leimbach, president of the Oak Park Community Council, is contacting churches, schools and Neighborhood Watch leaders and sending out information via e-mail.
"These people are getting so blatant, doing this in broad daylight," she said. "What do we tell our kids now?"
That question was much on the minds of many parents as they played at parks and lakes around the county yesterday. Most were especially careful about keeping a watchful eye on their children.
Jessica Russell of North Park said she looks around the Balboa Park playground while her 2-year-old daughter and niece play, suspicious of all the adults.
"I'm wondering who the kidnapper is," she said.
And she's so anxious about the girls' safety when they visit the park that she can't relax.
"It's nerve-racking," Russell said. "I can't even read the paper because I'm trying to watch them."
Rebecca Gladden of Escondido said she gave her daughter Ashley, 11, a cell phone a few days ago so they could keep in contact while Ashley attends day camp this summer. They also talk often about how to stay safe.
"I tell her that she doesn't have to be polite to strangers," Gladden said.
The parents of young boys are being careful, too.
Lisa Robinson said she used to let her three boys play without supervision while she played tennis at Kit Carson Park in Escondido. But, after the van Dam kidnapping, the boys – ages 8, 9 and 12 – wanted to stay close to her at the tennis court.
"I have no preconceived notions that boys are any safer than girls," she said.
Police are continuing their investigation in the Oak Park case.
"We are taking this attempted kidnap very seriously and are asking for help from the public if they know any information on a possible suspect," police spokesman Robinson said.
Child-abuse detectives said people with information should call (619) 531-2260.
See post 36. If you are not "accusing" the Van Dams of killing their daughter, then what is the point of the post asking where Damon was when Samantha was kidnapped? What is the point of posting song parodies with lyrics like "Damon's Got a Gun"?
If he did kill his daughter, then he deserves all the scorn and parody heaped on him, and if you believe that he did kill his daughter, then your posts could be understood. But....if you are "not accusing" Damon of killing his daughter then:
1. You believe Westerfield is innocent.
2. You know that the Van Dams have lost their daughter.
3. You are not alleging, I guess because you don't believe, that the Van Dams are the ones who killed their daughter.
4. You know that if the Van Dams were not involved, and see their names associated with accusations that they WERE involved, it will only compound the pain they have suffered from losing their daughter.
5. Yet, you continue to, day after day, hour after hour, post songs and messages that imply that the Van Dams were involved in the death-- not negligent, but actually involved.
So, are you now saying that you do not believe the Van Dams were involved in the death of their daughter? If so, why do you continue to compound their pain? Can't you support Westerfield, and question the evidence, without accusing the Van Dams of the hideous murder of their daughter?
Think about the points I am making, and perhaps consider changing your style of support for Westerfield.
th
hound
)Most on the net are simply foisting comments and opinions...based upon either news articles, radio interviews, court transcripts...
And then they put their personal "spin" on such information.
The reason that the VD case has continued to remain in the public eye, IMO..is the blatant outrageousness of the story...
SELF ADMITTED SWINGERS, who invite strangers back to their home, where adolescent children reside, for (alleged) sexual encounters puts said children at a higher risk...as the FBI and LE sighted in their warnings yesterday.....
Are they involved, further???
We may never know....
It is a fact, the San Diego Police cleared them as suspects very early in the investigation...so, there you go....
SAM-I-AM!!!
Spec, bringing to the new thread..
You wrote: "God help these idiots who are framing DW...and he IS being framed. "
And you believe this because???
Not only that, but, to determine the damage sustained in a defamation case, you are entitled to examine the reputation of the plaintiff, and how it was affected by the libelous statement. As a result, as you suggest, you would be entitled to bring in all kinds of character witnesses and witnesses to their conduct, to determine the issue of their "reputation".
Notwithstanding that, if they walked into my office, and I could determine that one of the posters who is accusing them of killing their daughter had significant assets, I would take that case. First, I'd try to find a group of 5 or 10 defendants, to make sure that there was a big pool of defendants with assets. I'd identify the ones who said and posted the most vile things about the Van Dams, the kind of statements that would make a jury angry, after DW is convicted and sitting in jail, and his suppressed statements become publicly known.
In discovery, I'd develop all the evidence I could about the "actual malice" of the defendants. Did they know, or have reason to know, of the pain it would cause the parents to be accused of her death, for example. Did they know the defendant, or people close to him, and write these things for the purpose of influence public perceptions? And so on. The case would get past the summary judgment stage, meaning it would go to trial and a jury. Defendants with assets and/or insurance coverage (insurance does not cover intentional torts, but does provide a defense when the tort has not been proven yet), would be likely to settle. Those that don't will have to take their chances in front of a San Diego jury with some pretty horrid words ringing in the jury's ears.
Yes, the jury would hear about their sordid lifestyle. But everyone knows about it already, and I think they could get past it and consider the distinction between your reputation for sexual oddity, and your reputation for being involved in the death of your daughter. When they got to talk about damages, Brenda would be a pretty sympathetic witness, crying about the loss of her daughter, while talking about the pain it caused her to be accused of complicity in the death. I think a jury could get angry. Because it is an intentional tort, punitive damages would be available.
Yup, I'd take that case on contingency in a heartbeat.
They have not admitted to being swingers..they said in a news interview that it was rumors ...or did you forget that?
http://video.uniontrib.com/news/metro/danielle/20020208-9999_1n8vandam.html
Parents believe daughter taken while they slept
February 8, 2002
"On top of dealing with a missing child, the van Dams are the subject of rumors that they are involved in a swinging club, where couples typically engage in sex with other couples. "This is in no way related to the investigation," Brenda van Dam said. "Nothing would get in between me checking on my children. It's a rumor. I don't know why people would want to be hurtful." "
http://video.uniontrib.com/news/metro/danielle/20020210-9999_1n10search.html
February 10, 2002
The van Dams urged everyone to focus on the search for their daughter and not on "distractions," such as rumors about their private life
They also have not admitted to bringing home strangers...you and the defense have not been able to prove that brenda was anything but a loudmouth, drunken flirt that friday night. (the 22 yr old dude could have been naive enough to believe her..WHO KNOWS!!)
Actually, there is "no comparison" between the lifestyle's of the VD's and DW.
The "only" questionable activities that I have heard about with regard to DW is drinking (and we KNOW that the VD's drink) and the "child porn" (which #1 has not been "proven" to be "child porn and #2 was likely downloaded by DW's son).
Now what to we KNOW about the VD's lifestyle:
Engage in "wife swapping".
Do drugs
Drink
Leave adolescent kids at home alone and at the mall
Invite total strangers back to their home from Dad's
At a bear minimum, these FACTS indicate NEGLIGENT parenting and should be considered as such. The remaining boys are living in a decedant household and should be removed ASAP.
What do you call Andy Kemal having sex with Brenda Van Dam while Denise Kemal has sex with Damon Van Dam, as per the testimony of Denise???
And don't get too Clintonesque with the difference between swapping and swinging.
Using the time line testified to in court come up with a theory on how this crime was committed and the body dumped at Dehesa.
1:45-1:54 Open Door
3:00-3:59 Open Door (Damon's testimony 3: something he couldn't tell exactly could be 3 to 4 AM)
7:00 DW went to High Valley
What did he do with her?
When did he kill her?
How did he move her around?
Why are there fibers in some places but no others?
Why is there unID'ed DNA & Prints?
Why is there NO David Westerfield DNA in the VD house or scent for that matter?
How did he accomplish this while being in the house over an hour?
Why did the dogs NOT hit inside the house or RV?
Ok, so they're self-admitted SWAPPERS. (per Denise testimony) Big difference, I guess?
Kim, you're such a good vd apologist!
You MAY see them (admitted adulterers) as swingers...they may not see themselves as that. What if that halloween night was truly the only time? What if it wasn't the only time? Do you want them to go to jail for danielle's murder if they are innocent?
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