RANCHO BERNARDO, Calif. (CBS 8) - A dark cloud hung over Rancho Bernardo Wedneseday. On the surface, it may have seemed like a normal day, but most of the shocked residents of this community were just going through the motions.
Tuesday's tragic discovery was on everyone's mind, in everyone's heart and on everyone's lips.
"My feeling is really just heart breaking for her parents. I don't know how they are going to live with this," a resident said.
Some were proactive.
"The first thing I did, I went online and basically checked to see how many sex offenders lived in our area, there's just a few," one resident said.
Others were reactive.
"Overwhelming sadness at the loss of a young life and I guess outrage that someone can commit such a terrible crime about 10 years ago and be out to do it again," a resident said.
At Rancho Bernardo Presbyterian Church, Pastor Ray Sparling was feeling the community's pain.
"Out of this what we are hoping is that we can find a lesson from it and that will help us understand a little bit more about life," Pastor Sparling said.
Today in Rancho Bernardo, parents were still searching for answers.
"I have four of my own, so you know, just the thought of that happening to them, I think that's been running through all of our minds," a community member said.
Parents are struggling to send the right message to their children.
"You have to be careful. It's sad. You know, to try to teach to trust people, but you really, you just don't know what's out there," one parent said.
Today in Rancho Bernardo, they struggled hard to keep the faith.
"God is with her [Chelsea King] in this life and in the next. We have confidence in that," Pastor Sparling said.
