Mom says teachers protected daughter
Updated: February 5, 2013
URBANA -- A little girl is safe after a scary situation Monday. Parlene Pursley said someone called her daughter's school and said the little girl needed to walk to her grandma's house after school. But, it wasn't Grandma who made the call, and it wasn't Pursley. WCIA-3's Anna Carrera tries to unravel the mystery.
Pursley said she doesn't know who left the message and that's the scariest part. Someone knew her daughter's name and where she went to school. They don't have any other family in the area, so now she's left with a lot of questions.
"I couldn't sleep last night," said Pursley. "I didn't want her to go to school this morning. It was really scary."
Pursley is a single mom raising two girls. 7-year old Ceonee usually goes to an after-school program when she's done at King Elementary. Teachers there were on guard when someone called and said her plans changed.
"King School, I just commend them so much because they were on top of it and they didn't let that happen to my child," said Pursley.
Pursley said there is only one other person allowed to take her daughter out of school and that's her dad who lives in Chicago. She has no idea who would call and say Ceonee should walk to her grandmother's house by herself.
"She's such a princess and such a naive, little girl," said Pursley. "She wouldn't have even known her directions to go."
King Elementary is in Urbana. Ceonee's grandma lives in Champaign. Pursley said her little girl could have gotten lost or worse.
"Looking out on this big world now, driving this morning after I dropped her off from school, this town is really big," said Pursley. "There are so many places she could be taken to or could have gone, and I wouldn't have ever found her again."
So she's grateful for the people keeping watch inside King Elementary's doors.
"I feel safe because of the people who are there," said Pursley. "I never thought it would happen to me. I see it all the time and it could happen to anyone."
Pursley said she's asked all her friends and people who know her daughter. None of them made the call. Police are investigating.
Pursley said she doesn't know who left the message and that's the scariest part. Someone knew her daughter's name and where she went to school. They don't have any other family in the area, so now she's left with a lot of questions.
"I couldn't sleep last night," said Pursley. "I didn't want her to go to school this morning. It was really scary."
Pursley is a single mom raising two girls. 7-year old Ceonee usually goes to an after-school program when she's done at King Elementary. Teachers there were on guard when someone called and said her plans changed.
"King School, I just commend them so much because they were on top of it and they didn't let that happen to my child," said Pursley.
Pursley said there is only one other person allowed to take her daughter out of school and that's her dad who lives in Chicago. She has no idea who would call and say Ceonee should walk to her grandmother's house by herself.
"She's such a princess and such a naive, little girl," said Pursley. "She wouldn't have even known her directions to go."
King Elementary is in Urbana. Ceonee's grandma lives in Champaign. Pursley said her little girl could have gotten lost or worse.
"Looking out on this big world now, driving this morning after I dropped her off from school, this town is really big," said Pursley. "There are so many places she could be taken to or could have gone, and I wouldn't have ever found her again."
So she's grateful for the people keeping watch inside King Elementary's doors.
"I feel safe because of the people who are there," said Pursley. "I never thought it would happen to me. I see it all the time and it could happen to anyone."
Pursley said she's asked all her friends and people who know her daughter. None of them made the call. Police are investigating.
