Lessons learned via loss

Darleene Barrientos

For Erin Runnion, losing her 5-year-old daughter Samantha to a

kidnapper taught her that it takes a community akin to a lion’s pride

to protect a child.

Runnion spoke to about 50 parents Thursday night at Rosemont

Middle School about the need for parents to watch out for one

another’s children.

Runnion became a national figure in 2002 when Samantha was killed

after being kidnapped from the family’s frontyard home in Stanton as

she played with her best friend.

“My whole life is different,” Runnion said, answering a question

of how her life has changed since Samantha was killed. “It definitely

makes each day more precious. I’m more aware of how transient life

is.”

One parent asked about how to deal with a child scared an adult

might try to attack her.

“I think an ounce of fear is healthy,” Runnion said. “You’ve got

to teach your child about sex before a child molester does.”

Runnion is now the founder of the nonprofit Joyful Child

Foundation, a group intent on starting Samantha’s Prides --

community-awareness and child-watch programs -- throughout Los

Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties.

Runnion hopes to start the first Los Angeles County pride in La

Crescenta.

Robbyn Battles of Battles Realty in La Crescenta organized the

event, having watched coverage of the Runnions’ ordeal in 2002.

Tonight’s not just about kids being kidnapped, it’s about what

kind of suspicious behavior do you look out for,” Battles said.

Deputy Mark Speer, who works at the Crescenta Valley Station of

the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, also spoke to parents

about common-sense ways to keep their children safe.

“One thing this community has to understand is that there is crime

up here,” Speer said, which drew chuckles from the audience. “We

can’t remember a kidnapping ever happening in this area, but it

doesn’t mean it can’t happen if we let our guard down.”

Monitoring a child’s relationship with other children, the child’s

time in a library and online, are a few ways to know more about him

or her, he said. It’s also important to ensure an open, unrestrained

relationship with a child.

“This is just my opinion, but teaching your child to be naive is

bad parenting,” Speer said. “Do not teach your child to be naive.

There has to be a balance to parenting ... If we can let them watch

TV and play the video games they play, I don’t see why we can’t talk

to them a little bit about what happens behind closed doors.”

The message of the presentation was so important that more parents

probably needed to hear it, Pasadena resident Virg Kasputis said.

“I give Erin credit for being so upbeat about starting her

organization,” Kasputis said. “I wish a lot more parents would have

been here. I think its something all of us need to know.”

* DARLEENE BARRIENTOS covers education. She may be reached at

(818) 637-3215 or by e-mail at darleene.barrientos @latimes.com.