CA - Chelsea King (17) Rancho Bernardo (north San Diego County)

TravelingBug · #1 02-26-2010, 03:05 AM

Just a bit further down the road from Bonsall and just up the road from where Danielle Van Dam lived in Scripps Ranch, a local Poway teen has gone missing in Rancho Bernardo.

The park she is missing from is parallel to the major inland north/south freeway, next to a large nursing/retirement home, and in a neighborhood that had been hard hit by the last San Diego wildfires.

This has been on twitter and facebook for awhile, and I've heard helicopters over the park off and on, but I wanted to wait until it was public in the news so I could include an article.

Poway Teen Missing
Posted: Feb 25, 2010 11:50 PM PST Updated: Feb 25, 2010 11:51 PM PST

A search is underway late Thursday night for a missing Poway High School student. Chelsea King, 17 was reported missing just after 7 p.m.

San Diego Police and San Diego County Sheriff's Deputies are conducting an air and ground search at Rancho Bernardo Community Park. A classmate tells News 8, King's car was found there in the parking lot and that she had planned to go running.

Investigators say King does not have any history of running away. She is 5'5, 120 lbs with blonde hair and blue eyes. Anyone with information is asked to call police.

TravelingBug · #2 02-26-2010, 03:10 AM

A blog a friend (of Chelsea's) started stated that her car was found with all of her things, including cell phone, plus her running clothes in it. Also right at the edge of the park is an area which goes back into the Lake Hodges area. While there are many trails, there are also areas that are quite dense and brushy.

The park itself is quite large and is always busy with sports activities on the fields, people in the dog park with their dogs, and many people walking and running. It is quite well lit, and a favorite spot of police and firemen to go train, as well. In mid afternoon before schools are out it's a bit quieter, but nearly always have many people stopping to each lunch or walk at breaks.

Here's a link to the park's website which includes pictures.

I'll try to head out in the light tomorrow to the park if she's still not back and see what is happening on the ground search wise. Poway and RB are very tight knit communities, so I would expect there will be a lot of public support, though I'm praying Chelsea is found before much searching is needed.

TravelingBug · #3 02-26-2010, 03:16 AM

It's also now top news on KNSD (after the Olympics) - there is a staging center set up at the park, and more than 100 sheriff deputies and volunteers.

Chelsea is a long distance runner at Poway High and often goes there and goes running. When she didn't come home after dark her parents immediately called the sheriffs. Sheriffs have been out with the Astria helicopters and ATVs searching since getting the phone call.

They are searching the canyon ravines beyond the park hoping that she simply fell down and got injured and can't get up, but they are very worried about her.

It is quite cool out (especially for San Diego) - about 51 right now, only that warm because of the cloud cover...many mornings recently it's been in the low 40's, and she was in running clothes (sounds like it was another set that was in the car).

They will be out searching overnight. Her family and friends are out there helping, as well.

TravelingBug · #4 02-26-2010, 03:20 AM

Authorities search for missing teen in Ranch Bernardo

By Jose Luis Jiménez, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

Friday, February 26, 2010 at 12:06 a.m.

RANCHO BERNARDO — Authorities are searching for a 17-year-old girl who went missing Thursday evening.

Chelsea King, who planned on going running at Rancho Bernardo Community Park on West Bernardo Drive near Aguamiel Road, did not return to her Poway home, the Sheriff’s Department said.

Her family contacted deputies, who used cell towers to determine her cell phone was located near the park, the Sheriff’s Department said. Deputies found the phone inside of her car near the park Thursday night and a search was started to locate the teenager.

She is described as having blonde hair, blue eyes and a thin build. She is a member of the Poway High School cross country running team.

Anyone with information can call the Sheriff’s Department at (858) 565-5200.

TravelingBug · #5 02-26-2010, 03:48 AM

Search Underway For Poway Teen

POSTED: 12:14 am PST February 26, 2010
UPDATED: 12:37 am PST February 26, 2010
SAN DIEGO -- Search teams from the San Diego Sheriff’s Department are looking for a 17-year-old Poway girl in the area around Lake Hodges.

Deputies tell 10News they found Chelsea King’s car in the parking lot of Rancho Bernardo Community Park Thursday night. Her parents notified the Sheriff’s Department when she didn’t return home Thursday evening at her usual time.

King was likely running on the trails in the park, her family told 10News.

Sheriff's Department search teams used all-terrain vehicles and a helicopter to help volunteers who showed up to help look for King.

10News at 4:30 a.m. will have the latest on the search.

MBLover · #6 02-26-2010, 07:59 AM

Prayers for Chelsea, hope she is found safe soon!

darlin gal · #7 02-26-2010, 09:09 AM

http://www.10news.com/news/22678790/detail.html#
After school on Thursday, she parked her car in the parking lot of the Rancho Bernardo Community Center on West Bernardo Drive in preparation for a run in the north Rancho Bernardo area, Caldwell said. She did not return to her locked car, according to the spokeswoman.

Sharedspirit · #8 02-26-2010, 12:11 PM

I saw this last night and hoped that when I got up today she'd have been found safe. This is happening way to much!

Texas Mist · #9 02-26-2010, 12:33 PM

I just found out about Chelsea -- prayers she's found safe soon!!

raeann · #10 02-26-2010, 12:40 PM

Such a shame that parents must worry and suffer when their kids are doing GOOD things, exactly the things that a teen should feel safe to do in her own hometown after school! I was concerned that this was in a remote area, but the pictures of the park seem to show it as a well used and developed park with many types of recreation areas.

jmo

Invisible · #11 02-26-2010, 12:44 PM

Oh no...not another young woman missing from the San Diego area. There is definitely a predator out there. I was so sorry to see this story in our news this morning.

Invisible · #12 02-26-2010, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raeann

Such a shame that parents must worry and suffer when their kids are doing GOOD things, exactly the things that a teen should feel safe to do in her own hometown after school! I was concerned that this was in a remote area, but the pictures of the park seem to show it as a well used and developed park with many types of recreation areas.

jmo

I think there was another young woman attacked while jogging in this same area in December.

nursebeeme · #13 02-26-2010, 01:32 PM

just did a search to see if she had a thread yet and glad to see there is already one started. I hope she is found safe.

fran · #14 02-26-2010, 02:17 PM

I just heard about this case this morning on the local radio station. I pray that she turns up. But OhMyGooness, I have a bad feeling about this, especially after Amber DuBois.

I'm definitely going to contact my daughter that's training for a 5K. She always runs by herself. She tells me not to worry.

JMHO
fran

TravelingBug · #15 02-26-2010, 02:51 PM

Although it was a little foggy last night, I heard the helicopter frequently and have heard searching again today, which is great. In fact, there's a helicopter overhead at the moment.

I'm not sure how this didn't cross my mind last night, but it's only a couple of miles (literally) down the road from where Amber Dubois went missing from, as well.

I've been forwarded the missing flier for her dozens of times this morning. I'm trying to embed the link for it above

It's all over twitter, and local students all have it as their facebook status. Churches and schools are passing and forwarding out missing fliers about Chelsea, as well. So the good thing is especially in the Poway and RB area, there's virtually no one who isn't aware of this and keeping an eye out for her.

This is a pretty close knit area, and there are very few of us who haven't run in that park or run or walked around Lake Hodges, so this has stunned people.

TravelingBug · #16 02-26-2010, 02:54 PM

One thing that should be helpful is that her parents reported her missing within an hour of the time she was expected to return home, and searching began almost immediately, so not a lot of time elapsed.

Search continues for missing Poway teen

By Michael Burge, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

Karen Kucher, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

Originally published February 26, 2010 at 6:18 a.m., updated February 26, 2010 at 9:39 a.m.

Poway High School student Chelsea King disappeared while jogging around Lake Hodges

SAN DIEGO — Dozens of volunteers and law enforcement officers, many assisted with dogs, fanned out on trails near Lake Hodges on Friday as they continued to search for a 17-year-old girl who went missing Thursday when she went for a run.

About 90 members of the sheriff’s search-and-rescue team worked overnight in Rancho Bernardo looking for Chelsea King, a student at Poway High School. Helicopters and searchers on ATVs also were involved in the effort.

Chelsea planned on going running at Rancho Bernardo Community Park on West Bernardo Drive near Aguamiel Road on Thursday and was reported missing by her family when she did not return to her Poway home.

The family had expected Chelsea to get home around 5 p.m. and called police when she didn’t arrive by 6 p.m., said Stephanie Dorian, who is Chelsea’s cousin.

Chelsea is “a happy girl going for a run and didn’t come back,” she said.

“She’s a typical all-American gal. She’s very easygoing, successful with what she does. She’s a straight-A student and avid runner,” she said.

Dorian said the family is “devastated” but doing the best they can.

Deputies used cell towers to determine that Chelsea’s cell phone was near the park. Her phone was found inside of her locked car Thursday night.

Sheriff’s Sgt. Don Parker, the search coordinator, said nothing useful has been found so far. “Nothing at all,” he said.

Parker said the group is searching an area larger than 20 square miles. Rancho Bernardo Community Park lies on the southern shore of Lake Hodges. It is laced with trails that weave through brush-covered hills and link the community park and the lake.

At the park, volunteers handed out fliers with the girl’s picture on it.

“Any time a child goes missing it is a serious issue.” said Linda Farmer, a Poway school employee who planned to hand out fliers. Farmer said her daughter and Chelsea are the same age.

Dan Perry, who said he was the family’s next-door neighbor, said he was remaining hopeful.

“She is just the greatest kid. She never said a bad word about anyone,” Perry said.

Officials said Chelsea is an avid long-distance runner and routinely takes long runs in rural areas.

She is described as having blond hair, blue eyes and a thin build. She is a member of the Poway High School cross country running team.

Sheriff’s officials said Friday morning that the case is being turned over to the San Diego Police Department because Chelsea’s car was found in police jurisdiction.

Invisible · #17 02-26-2010, 03:24 PM

Here are two links to the attack of the jogger in the same park that happened in December.

http://www.sandiego6.com/news/local/...y3sHvcJiQ.cspx

http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/ra...f1f687293.html

I was listening to 10 news this morning and the reporter said that Chelsea is anemic and sometimes faints when she is running. The terrain around the lake can be a little rough, maybe there is a possibility that she fell and sprained or broke something and couldn't make it back to her car.

There are search teams out in full force looking for the young woman, so I am crossing my fingers that she will be found safe.

redsky · #18 02-26-2010, 03:28 PM

I pray she is found safe but I am worried this isn't the case

This has been happening far too often.

lurkeyloo · #19 02-26-2010, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Invisible

I think there was another young woman attacked while jogging in this same area in December.

Do you know if they did a police sketch of the possible attacker? I'd like to find more info on this possible attack from December.

ETA- Thanks we must have been posting at the same time

TravelingBug · #20 02-26-2010, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Invisible

Here are two links to the attack of the jogger in the same park that happened in December.

http://www.sandiego6.com/news/local/...y3sHvcJiQ.cspx

http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/ra...f1f687293.html

I was listening to 10 news this morning and the reporter said that Chelsea is anemic and sometimes faints when she is running. The terrain around the lake can be a little rough, maybe there is a possibility that she fell and sprained or broke something and couldn't make it back to her car.

There are search teams out in full force looking for the young woman, so I am crossing my fingers that she will be found safe.

Thanks for posting that.

Interesting because that's more into the Westwood neighborhood than the park, but the trails eventually end up around the park ones, depending on where you go direction wise on the various trail choices.

While I can still see the park from my house, I used to live literally next to that access trail shown from this previous attack and heard nothing about it! And I often ran those same trails - both from the earlier attack and where Chelsea is currently missing from.

Curious Me · #21 02-26-2010, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lurkeyloo

Do you know if they did a police sketch of the possible attacker? I'd like to find more info on this possible attack from December.

ETA- Thanks we must have been posting at the same time

I'm going to check out this site:

San Diego Crime Stoppers
http://www.sdcrimestoppers.com/

TravelingBug · #22 02-26-2010, 03:52 PM

Here's a video from her parents.

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/loca...San_Diego.html

It's taken out front of one of the park/rec buildings in the park.

Curious Me · #23 02-26-2010, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Invisible

Here are two links to the attack of the jogger in the same park that happened in December.

http://www.sandiego6.com/news/local/...y3sHvcJiQ.cspx

http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/ra...f1f687293.html

I was listening to 10 news this morning and the reporter said that Chelsea is anemic and sometimes faints when she is running. The terrain around the lake can be a little rough, maybe there is a possibility that she fell and sprained or broke something and couldn't make it back to her car.

There are search teams out in full force looking for the young woman, so I am crossing my fingers that she will be found safe.

Disappointed in the SD Crime Stoppers site. It needs to be more interactive and current, IMO.

Thanks for posting those articles. The first article said:
"The victim got away after she elbowed the attacker in the face. Police think he may have a broken nose.

The suspect is described as a white male in his mid-20s, 5'11", 230 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a blue and white sweater and jeans."

Curious Me · #24 02-26-2010, 04:12 PM

It is so crucial to keep this search going now. Chelsea could be out there, maybe injured. Do they have enough people to search the area?

fran · #25 02-26-2010, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TravelingBug

Here's a video from her parents.

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/loca...San_Diego.html

It's taken out front of one of the park/rec buildings in the park.

Wow! her poor mom and dad.

fran

Prayers for Chelsea.