Do you guys remember the talk our parents would give us about being safe on the internet when we were younger? My parents would give me and my little brother the talk almost everyday to remind us about the dangers surrounding the internet. At first it just seemed like a pointless conversation to have, but now with so many young people going missing, I thank my parents.
At some point we have all been in the same position where we talk to people without really knowing them online. Maybe we met them through a game, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook. Sometimes we think of it as nothing, but what if people came across a predator without realizing it. A case that stood out to me was Alicia's, the young girl who was lured and abducted by an online creep. This case kinda freaked me out because Alicia lived in the same city as majority of us. I remember seeing so many of her posters around the city.
Alicia lived here in Glendale, Arizona with her mom. According to her mom Alicia was described as a caring, loving person. At a young age Alicia was diagnosed with high functioning Autism and anxiety. All this made it hard for Alicia to go in public and meet new people. The thought of leaving her home would freak out Alicia a lot. Alicia would have the same "routine" her mom would describe it as. According to Alicia's mom her anxiety was so bad, that she had to transfer school of couple of times. Making it hard for her to make friends. She had some but not a lot. At just 11, Alicia would later take strong interest in online gaming. She was able to be herself, meet and chat with people and have a good time gaming. What she didn't know was that one of her online friends would end up changing her and the families life forever.
At some point Jessica (Alicia's mom) had discovered disturbing messages between her daughter and a friend she meet online. She quickly took Alicia's phone away to look into those messages. According to a news article Jessica tried filing a police report, but couldn't because nothing "illegal" seemed to had happened. As the days continued Jessica noticed that her daughter would start going through some changes. She would start wearing make up, put perfume on, which normally she would have never ever done before. She also started changing up her style in clothes. She had even started to hang out with friends. Which was way out of her comfort zone. One a September day, Alicia asked her mom if she could stay at home because her anxiety was very high, her mom ended up agreeing. That day she went to get her eyebrows threaded, and went to a chocolate factory with her mom, at the end of the day Alicia seemed to be relaxed. A couple days later around 1 AM, Jessica was up waiting for her husband to get home from work. She heard Alicia laughing, and talking before she came out of her room to get a glass of water. When Alicia saw her mom, she asked her why she was still awake and when she was planning to go back to bed. Sadly that was the last time Jessica ever saw her daughter again.
That morning Jessica noticed so many strange things like her back door being open, and chairs being stacked. Immediately she thought of Alicia. When she ran into her room Alicia was gone. Alicia had took a backpack, a comic book, and her phone without her charger. Making her mom believe that Alicia had no intention on being out for a long time. She also left a note behind. Jessica was desperately looking for answers. According to many witnesses, Alicia was last seen with a much older man at a park in Phoenix. It was also said that a neighbors surveillance camera captured a white truck driving in the neighborhood where Alicia lived. Jessica fears that an online predator from one of Alicia's games lured her away. It's been two years and there still hasn't been any news about Alicia sadly.
It's all just super crazy to think about.
It is extremely crazy to think about because I remember the same thing. Don't take anything from strangers, don't talk to them, etc. To think the craziness we go through as a kid but then we link it to something that could have happened, now that we know what could of happened. We are definitely not in Kanses no more. Stay safe, great blog.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that you have to be careful online. I remember when I was younger my brother accidentally downloaded a virus onto his computer because he downloaded the wrong mod. It is not the same but I think it kind of relates.
ReplyDeleteThis is certainly a parents worst nightmare, I can't even fathom the pain this family is going through. I am not a parent myself, but I do have many little nieces and nephews and I adore them, and cannot imagine something like this happening to them. These days with social media and the vast amount of outlets in the world wide web, one cannot be too careful.
ReplyDeleteThis story is so close to me, because at the time I worked at the high school she was meant to attend. I remember when I was younger and I would talk to absolute strangers online without realizing the seriously dangerous consequences it could lead to if it ever went too far. My heart goes out to the Navarro family, I simply cannot imagine losing someone overnight like this.
ReplyDeleteHey Yasmin, I really enjoyed your blog. The whole thing flows really well. I get goosebumps when I ask myself "what if it was my younger sibling who went through this"? I feel really bad for her family because they don't have any closure. Not to say that I would prefer if they found her body or found her alive, but being uncertain is probably the worst feeling ever. We don't know if she alive, dead, happy or sad. I hope one day her family gets the answers they are desperately looking for.
ReplyDeletei agree with you it could be very scary and more when it comes with young kids too because they don't know what they're getting to.
ReplyDeleteHi, I enjoyed reading your blog. I remember when this was all over the news and it's crazy to think about.
ReplyDeleteI remember seeing her face all over the news, it's such a sad case. I can't imagine what her loved ones have gone through. You really never know who you're talking to, we should all be more vigilant with the children in our lives and the way they use social platforms, if at all.
ReplyDeleteYour four new entries look great, Yasmin. Your writing flows well, you are developing your content, and you are working the concepts of rhetoric to connect to your audience and keep them engaged. Good visual appeal with images and layout. Nice work. Keep it up!
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