Missing teen found dead in cornfield (Riverside, Indio: high crime, houses, camp)

[tu2mama]

Riverside County Sheriff's investigators told News Channel 3 the body discovered in a Coachella corn field on Wednesday has been identified as a missing 19-year-old from Indio.

This is so unsettling. My daughter is only a few years older and alone out there. Being in a new place she doesn't have the safeguard of friends and family. At home she always lets someone know her whereabouts. Does anyone have some safety tips for the young and single? The only way that I know that she is alive and well is by facebook posts, etc. I'm definitely sending her some pepper spray!

[Twinkle Toes]

Originally Posted by tu2mama

This is so unsettling. My daughter is only a few years older and alone out there. Being in a new place she doesn't have the safeguard of friends and family. At home she always lets someone know her whereabouts. Does anyone have some safety tips for the young and single? The only way that I know that she is alive and well is by facebook posts, etc. I'm definitely sending her some pepper spray!

Yes, it is unnerving and so very sad for this beautiful young lady and her family. Crime is definitely out of control in the valley. It used to be a nice place to live, but lately, I'm not so sure it is. You are still safer in some areas than others, but anything can happen at any time.

Your daughter should always let somebody know where she is going, and an estimated time of when she'll be back, and who she's with. It can be a drag to have to constantly report your whereabouts/personal business, but better inconvenient and safe than sorry. I'm almost 50 years old and I STILL let people know the who, what, where, when, and whys.

Encourage your daughter to choose her friends wisely. Also to never go out "clubbing" alone. Always stay with your group (girls generally go clubbing in packs of 3 or 4).

She should stay away from known high crime areas. Don't stop to ask for directions - get her a GPS if she doesn't have one. Most (if not all) SmartPhones have GPS capability.

Always have adequate gas in your tank so you don't run out. That's an invitation to an evil person looking to take advantage of a bad situation.

If she has Facebook or other social networks, privatize them and don't give out your personal info or itinerary to everyone - it may fall into the wrong hands.

Since your daughter is new to this area and doesn't know many people here, I would strongly suggest getting involved in a self-defense class. She will learn to defend herself, plus she will make new friends. I took Brazilian Jiu Jitsu with both of my sons - I was the only female in the class at first - then the guys started getting their mothers, sisters, daughters, wives involved. My boys insisted I take the class (they had already been involved with MMA for several years) because I used to go off running at night when it was cooler - by myself. They were worried about somebody jumping me and God-knows-what. Now, if I get attacked or jumped I know what to do. I can defend myself by disabling an attacker (temporarily, as I am only 115 pounds) and get away to a safe location where I can call 911 or get help.

Common sense. She should always be aware of her surroundings and do everything in her power NOT to place herself in a bad situation. She should always project confidence (even if scared) because an attacker is less likely to attack somebody who looks confident - like they might be able to fight back/too feisty to deal with/too much of a hassle.

I know your daughter loves to dance - swing dancing in particular. Every summer my friend Jay Byam puts on a swing and salsa camp in Palm Springs. I go every year, as does my son and a bunch of our friends. If you are interested, I could meet up with your daughter at the dance camp and introduce her to other dancers in her age group who I know are good, law abiding people. Just send me a PM if you are interested. I'm a parent too, and I worry about my kids too - even though they are bigger than me and can take an attacker down with lethal force, so I completely empathize with wanting to keep your daughter safe.

[bhcompy]

Originally Posted by tu2mama

This is so unsettling. My daughter is only a few years older and alone out there. Being in a new place she doesn't have the safeguard of friends and family. At home she always lets someone know her whereabouts. Does anyone have some safety tips for the young and single? The only way that I know that she is alive and well is by facebook posts, etc. I'm definitely sending her some pepper spray!

Yea, get a concealed carry permit or a tazer

[TBCasino]

Originally Posted by tu2mama

This is so unsettling. My daughter is only a few years older and alone out there. Being in a new place she doesn't have the safeguard of friends and family. At home she always lets someone know her whereabouts. Does anyone have some safety tips for the young and single? The only way that I know that she is alive and well is by facebook posts, etc. I'm definitely sending her some pepper spray!

Twinkle Toes pretty much covered everything. One thing I noticed when I first moved out west, was that a lot of people walk around with the "yeah crime happens, but it won't happen to me" mentality, because crime here is relatively low. It's common to see cars unlocked ( sometimes running ), houses with the doors wide open, purses sitting in shopping carts while people are looking around the frozen food aisle, etc.. Don't let her fall into that mindset, It's always better to be vigilant.

In terms of a carry permit, those can be hard to get out here. Plus, getting a permit and carrying a gun doesn't mean she'll be safe, she's gotta learn how to use it, proper retention and so on.