Let Chelsea King be a lesson

The story of Chelsea King is a parent’s worst nightmare—a daughter who fell victim to a sexual predator.

Having placed a local Simi predator in jail for stalking my own teenage daughter, I know the laws and judges are so weak that two weeks after my kid’s stalker was jailed he was released. Chasing my child down the street wasn’t enough?

Of course, laws only apply after the crime.

With 78 sexual assaults occurring in the U.S. every hour, we cannot rely on the law. No matter how good the police officers are, it fails at the lawyers, judges and politicians who live in gated communities.

There are 67 registered sex offenders right here inside our 33 square miles of Simi Valley. That’s two known sex offenders for every square mile. And that’s only the known sexual predators.

Fifty-one percent of our total Simi population are female. Thirty percent of the total population here are young females. So with 120,543 people in Simi, that makes 1,096 potential victims for every square mile.

Candice Moncayo, however, didn’t fall victim to the same man who is suspected of Chelsea King’s death. Why? Because of something called an “elbow strike.” One that was so effective that detectives used swabs of his blood, off her elbow, to identify him.

My daughter showed me what an elbow strike is. She’s 9. It is surely a powerful close-quarters defense. She learned it at the American Martial Arts Academy in Simi Valley.

While it can be ineffective if not properly taught, they make sure it’s practiced over and over again, along with other methods in the martial arts.

I was standing in line at the Regal last night with my daughter. Also in line were a group of very nice, polite teenagers, both boys and girls.

My daughter and I recognized them. They were first- and seconddegree black belts from AMAA.

I thought about how much more of a choice they’d have when it really matters. We all have choices, before the crime.
Guy Nohrenberg
Simi Valley