San Diego

‘What's Not Left to Do?': Chelsea King's Family Talks About Chelsea's Law, Years Later

This Sunday, thousands of San Diegans will gather at Balboa Park this Saturday to finish Chelsea's Run for the annual event that honors the slain Poway teen.

It has been years since the death of Chelsea King and the implementation of Chelsea's Law, but her parents say their work is far from done. 

Chelsea King, 17, was killed on Feb. 25, 2010 by a known sexual predator while she was out running at the Rancho Bernardo Community Park. It was a case that shook San Diego to its core.

Her death led to changes in the way the law treats convicted sex offenders. 

But Brent and Kelly, Chelsea's parents, say there is more work to be done across the nation. 

"What we’ve been able to accomplish here in California and in San Diego is what we want to accomplish across the country, so that is a never ending challenge," said Kelly. "We welcome it with open arms, but it’s a long hard road, but we’re not about to stop until we make sure the kids not just in California but across the country are as safe as the kids are here."

The couple are working on taking Chelsea's Law to other states and encouraging lawmakers to adopt all or part of it. They are also working with the state of California to ensure the law stays strong. 

"It's working exceptionally well," Brent said. 

But, Brent said, there are still flaws in the way the law deals with sex offenders. 

"We still categorize every sex offender the same," Brent said. "We don’t separate them out, and there’s real value separating them out because the ones that are extremely violent – we need to make sure we manage them in that form that best protects us. We can’t just group them all together."

This Sunday, thousands of San Diegans will gather at Balboa Park this Saturday to finish Chelsea's Run for the annual event that honors the slain Poway teen.

The event, now in its seventh year, aspires to draw people together in remembrance of the late Chelsea. Girl Scouts of San Diego is partnering with Chelsea's Light Foundation to bring locals together at Finish Chelsea's Run.

The event includes the 5K run, a family festival, children activities, team exercises, including Zumba and an obstacle course, as well as live entertainment and refreshments, said event organizers.

Chelsea's family created the foundation so that their daughter would never be forgotten and continue to spread her sunshine and positivity to others even after her early passing.

If you would like to run, you can register at the run on the day of the event. Registration fees for entry prior to the run is $40 for adults, $25 for youth and $10 for children ages five and below.

Proceeds from the event will support the Chelsea's Light Foundation Sunflower Scholarship fund, said event organizers. It's a scholarship for college-bound students who embody King's spirit, work ethic and thirst for knowledge.

The proceeds will also benefit Girl Scouts San Diego to help keep the organization affordable and accessible to girls.

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