CARLSBAD, Calif. — Members of the Carlsbad community gathered together on Saturday to complete the hike that Lisa Thorborg wasn’t able to finish.
Theresa Dooley who coordinated the ‘Finish Lisa’s Walk’ said, “We want to walk for this beautiful woman today to honor her memory. I didn’t know her personally, but she was a very beautiful spirit and loved to hike.”
One participant names Amber told News 8, “We’ve been here a lot hiking with our family and it’s just such a tragedy and although we didn’t know her we’ve walked these trails a lot and wanted to come out and show support.”
The tragedy struck on Monday morning when 68-year-old Lisa Thorborg was stabbed to death while out for a walk along Hosp Grove Park in Carlsbad. At this point, the attack appears to be random and police still don’t have a suspect in custody.
Multiple people at Saturday’s event said the scariest part is that the person is still out there somewhere.
While many walkers say they will no longer hoke alone, they also made it very clear that they will not be intimidated. Walk organizer Angela Derby said, “We are not just going to lay down and let somebody scare us from being on our trails. We want our presence known and we are taking back our park.”
In an effort to honor Lisa for years to come, walkers painted heartfelt messages on rocks and placed them along the trail. Derby said they were messages of love and hope.
When asked what final words they would like to say to Lisa, a woman who has never even met her said it best, “The community is here for you, we love you and we are sorry that such a tragic thing happened here and to her family. I just hope that she can feel the love and support of the community right now.”
Police confirmed they were still searching for people who may have been in the area, including a man identified by a citizen tip. He was described as a white or Hispanic adult, 5’10” – 6’3”, husky build, tan complexion with dark hair. He was wearing a black shirt, black shorts and possibly a black hat. The man was walking slowly with a slight shuffle or limp. It is unknown at this time if this person is related to the incident.
“Any help would be appreciated so we can hopefully solve this horrific time and then figure out how this happened and what happened,” said Lt. Jason Jackowski, with the Carlsbad Police Department.
Police are urging anyone with information to please call the crime hotline number at (760) 931-2165.