Valley women on high alert after sexual assault crime

The abduction and sexual assault of a teenage girl left many in the valley reeling. The news especially affecting young women and girls.

“It makes me sick, how can you do that to a little girl,” said 18-year-old Celia Kerr.

Kerr and Erin Escalante, also 18, don’t know each other but they now have the same fear: that this could happen to them or someone they love.

They work in downtown Palm Springs, not far from the vacant lot where the girl was found. Both say hearing about the horrific crime makes them think twice about going anywhere alone.

“It’s healthy to go for a walk and usually I do it by myself, so now I know to keep a buddy with me at least,” Kerr said.

“I’ll probably go buy myself some pepper spray so that I have some kind of defense,” Escalante said.

Schools across the valley warn students to take extra precautions and be aware of their surroundings.

“They’re very safe at school, we have to make sure they’re safe to and from and everything in between,” said Joan Boiko, communications manager for Palm Springs Unified School District.

PSUSD called parents with a safety advisory that includes the following tips:

“Make sure our kids, number on,e are not walking alone. Number two, they should never talk to someone they don’t know. Number three, children should report any kind of suspicious activity to a trusted adult,” Boiko said.

Advice Escalante and Kerr say they won’t take lightly, even after the monster responsible for this is found.

“You feel like once you get older you get safer and in reality you’re not, it’s the world around us,” Kerr said.