Charged with a misdemeanor for loitering

North County Women's Medical Center, San Marcos

Since the middle of March, besides praying with many of you on the sidewalk facing Dr. George Kung's abortion clinic (North County Women's Medical Center) at 120 Craven Road in San Marcos, I started to walk in the parking area of Palomar Pomerado Health, which hosts the clinic, to reach out to women going in for an abortion.

My incursions into the parking lot were brief and limited to the time necessary to exchange a few words with the ladies and handing them referrals to the local pregnancy center, Birth Choice, to Culture of Life Family Services, or to post-abortion healing resources if I happened to talk to them on their way out of the building. I always returned to the sidewalk as soon as I could.

A few weeks ago another lady joined me in the effort. We took turns so that there would be only one of us in the parking lot. We were both aware of the risk of this activity, but we agreed that even planting a seed in the minds of those women acknowledging and honoring the reality of their unborn children was worth the risk.

Last Friday I spoke to "M," a young woman who sat by herself in the car waiting for the appointment with Dr. Kung. After reassuring her that there was help for her and her baby and that the only choice she would never be able to change was the abortion, I offered to call Dr. Delgado at COLFS from my phone. "M" was open, but said that she wanted to think about it. I returned to the sidewalk and joined the other prayer warriors. After 15 minutes, we saw "M" driving away. We kept praying in praise and thanksgiving. Please continue to pray for "M" that no pressure from her circumstances will bring her back to the clinic and for "P," her boyfriend, that he will support her in giving life to their baby.

Soon after, I saw another couple driving in and I went in the parking lot to meet them. I spoke to the girl while she was still in her car. She was teary-eyed as she hugged her boyfriend, but she told me firmly that she was sure of her choice. Even though she thanked me, she didn't want to continue the conversation and so I left.

A few minutes later, as she started to walk into the clinic, I saw two officers approaching her. I could guess what they were asking her because she pointed in my direction. Soon after, the officers, from the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, came over to charge me with a misdemeanor for loitering.

Needless to say, I'm very sorry for the incident and for bringing attention on me rather than to the fate of the unborn babies and their mothers. However, all four of us present at that time were given an opportunity to witness to the officers and explain our reasons and motivation for doing what we were doing. Since I will have to appear in court, I plan to go and describe what kind of "loitering" I was perpetrating.

I will continue to pray on the sidewalk in front of the clinic (it's perfectly legal!) every Friday from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., but I will refrain from going in the private parking lot. I encourage you to do the same and to avoid parking in it as well.

From http://www.calcatholic.com/