On January 14, 2018 authorities in Perris, California made a gruesome discovery. After one girl’s daring escape from what has been called a literal “house of horrors,” police found twelve more children and young adults living in squalor, shackled and starving, allegedly at the hands of their parents David and Louise Turpin.
Before this horrific story broke, most people had probably never heard of Perris. And that’s a shame because the small Riverside County city has long been known for the crystal clear skies that make it a nirvana for skydiving and hot air balloon rides.
Unfortunately, these days, a quick Google search of “Perris” turns up little about the city’s natural beauty. What you get are stories about a house filled with dead pets and emaciated children, and images of the wide-eyed Turpin wife who evidently fancied herself the next Kate Gosselin.
"For the name Perris to be associated with that house of horrors is a shame," Skydive Perris manager Dan Brodsky-Chenfeld told CNN. "Really Perris is a globally famous location, for 40 years, a skydiver's paradise.”
The negative publicity surrounding Perris isn’t going away anytime soon. The Turpins have pleaded not guilty to 37 criminal charges and are now headed for a sensational trial.
The horrors of the Turpin family’s alleged crimes should never be forgotten. But neither should the many wonders of the town whose reputation they’ve soiled with wicked deeds.
To learn more about the good side of Perris, read this article on “the five great things about Perris” from the San Bernardino Sun.