Found Deceased CA - Blaze Bernstein, 19, Lake Forest, 2 Jan 2018 #2

[T_mar]

Hi, I'm another newby that has been reading along. The lack of disclosure on many fronts unfortunately leads to much speculation. What we do know is he contacted a school friend, which since he left without informing his family, is information that did not come from him. It had to come from his family members and LE discovering this information after he was found missing, so I'd say it's likely correct.

It has been reported that he was "upset" and that he "ran" into or towards the wilderness area and that he was meeting a third party. There have also been contradictory reports to this.

I'd like to point out that if he was using a social media app like grindr to hook up with a new or former hookup up that these apps track and broadcast your location information in real time. What if a former or new hookup was attempting to compromise him or set him up for harm and the meeting went south and he consciously turned off the gps in an effort to mask his location from that person?

With the little information given it does seem to me that he was possibly drawn out to the location rather than setting up a complex hook up involving a driver in a very scary (at night) isolated location for a brief encounter. It just makes more sense.

I also have a question for those of you familiar with the area. From his drop off location would using the trail possibly be a "shortcut" to any homes adjacent to the trail or to swing back to the shopping center? In other words, if he was meeting with someone who 'couldn't be seen' or was wanting to mask that he was going to a home close by would getting dropped there and using the trail accomplish this?

That hat is so scary. I don’t know anything about those apps like Grindr and Tinder, this is the first I’ve ever heard of Grindr since following this case. I’m not old, but omg I would have been terrified to meet someone in that way.
But ues, I would agree that that would be a reason to turn off the location service.

 

[neesaki]

I wish we knew what was in that darn last text that caused the parents to conclude he had been involved in foul play. This was their words in very first brief interview right after he went missing on my local Socal news broadcast.

Is it only speculation that the text was to his friend from Penn ?

 

[Whiteorchids]

That hat is so scary. I don’t know anything about those apps like Grindr and Tinder, this is the first I’ve ever heard of Grindr since following this case. I’m not old, but omg I would have been terrified to meet someone in that way.
But ues, I would agree that that would be a reason to turn off the location service.

Yes they are very scary. Great place for predators. Regular users of Grindr app have reported about innocent people meeting up only to be robbed.

 

[Midge Montana]

“If there’s any way you can come home, whatever has happened, wherever you’ve been, whoever you’ve talked to — it doesn’t matter,” she said. “We love you so much that we would give up everything we have to have you back.”

BBM: This statement made me sit up and take notice. Was there someone his parents had forbidden him to talk to or hang out with? Since they have gained access to at least some of his social media, maybe they found he was in communication with a forbidden person. I can really find no other logical explanation for this statement. Ok, with a HUGE stretch of the mind, lol, it could be that he spilled some family secret. Turned his parents in for something? Yeah, that is too much of a stretch for me.
That sentence in her plea is very specific. She is telling him that she knows and it will be okay.
At age 19, it'd be odd that parents would be forbidding you to talk to someone, but I guess it all depends on the family dynamics. It seems he could be a bit 'babied' by his family which I am not saying is bad in any way. Some families, when a kid reaches adulthood they go off into the world as an adult, if they're not in college. At 19 my kid was living a thousand miles away from me and it's laughable to think I would ever tell him who he couldn't hang out with.
However, with Blaze still somewhat under their wing (they were likely footing the college bill, they were still driving him to the dentist, etc.) and not what I would size up as a 'worldly' kind of kid, maybe they did control (or try to) his outside influences and his behavior.

Maybe they had a parents' intuition that this person was not good for Blaze to be involved with? It would explain why he might have 'sneaked' out to meet up with them. I feel sure that the driver friend knew why he was going there. Who would give someone a ride without asking that question, even just in passing?

Praying for some answers very, very soon. I cannot begin to imagine his parents' devastation.

 

[losangeles24]

Is it only speculation that the text was to his friend from Penn ?

Yes just speculation

 

[Whiteorchids]

The idea that the driver may have been a teacher has occurred to me, too...

And as you stated...

This could add to the existing complications of being revealed to the public..

:thinking:

You mean like a HS teacher student relationship? That does happen unfortunately.

 

[Cherry]

Did LE check every inch of home; attic etc basement if there is one? Did they check all trees at park? And are there any meds missing from the home? I have questions like these.

 

[charminglane]

Did LE check every inch of home; attic etc basement if there is one? Did they check all trees at park? And are there any meds missing from the home? I have questions like these.

We all do!

 

[Whiteorchids]

“If there’s any way you can come home, whatever has happened, wherever you’ve been, whoever you’ve talked to — it doesn’t matter,” she said. “We love you so much that we would give up everything we have to have you back.”

BBM: This statement made me sit up and take notice. Was there someone his parents had forbidden him to talk to or hang out with? Since they have gained access to at least some of his social media, maybe they found he was in communication with a forbidden person. I can really find no other logical explanation for this statement. Ok, with a HUGE stretch of the mind, lol, it could be that he spilled some family secret. Turned his parents in for something? Yeah, that is too much of a stretch for me.
That sentence in her plea is very specific. She is telling him that she knows and it will be okay.
At age 19, it'd be odd that parents would be forbidding you to talk to someone, but I guess it all depends on the family dynamics. It seems he could be a bit 'babied' by his family which I am not saying is bad in any way. Some families, when a kid reaches adulthood they go off into the world as an adult, if they're not in college. At 19 my kid was living a thousand miles away from me and it's laughable to think I would ever tell him who he couldn't hang out with.
However, with Blaze still somewhat under their wing (they were likely footing the college bill, they were still driving him to the dentist, etc.) and not what I would size up as a 'worldly' kind of kid, maybe they did control (or try to) his outside influences and his behavior.

Maybe they had a parents' intuition that this person was not good for Blaze to be involved with? It would explain why he might have 'sneaked' out to meet up with them. I feel sure that the driver friend knew why he was going there. Who would give someone a ride without asking that question, even just in passing?

Praying for some answers very, very soon. I cannot begin to imagine his parents' devastation.

Good points. Even if they are 19 We've always told our adult boys not living with us that are visiting it's our house our rules.

 

[LaborDayRN]

Thank you to Tricia and the mods for addressing the post that shall not be named, I personally found it objectionable and inappropriate to post that on this forum since it is an open forum.

Now Tricia, go have some hot cocoa and calm down girl.

I couldn't agree more DAnthrplgst! Thanks Tricia and Sillybilly for all you do!

 

[Whiteorchids]

Did LE check every inch of home; attic etc basement if there is one? Did they check all trees at park? And are there any meds missing from the home? I have questions like these.

We can assume so they are highly skilled professional detectives. It's their job. We just want to know everything about this case. Aarrrgghh

 

[JerseyGirl]

Did LE check every inch of home; attic etc basement if there is one? Did they check all trees at park? And are there any meds missing from the home? I have questions like these.

I do too, especially when I read this from his father, gave me John/Patsy vibes (sorry):

“I am trying to keep as busy as possible trying to find him and not think about everything else. We have encouraged our friends and family to come over. We have 10-20 people in our house at a time and everyone is helpful. It’s been amazing,” he said.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...ft-parents-home-meet-friend-article-1.3741871

 

[SoCalRes]

I also have a question for those of you familiar with the area. From his drop off location would using the trail possibly be a "shortcut" to any homes adjacent to the trail or to swing back to the shopping center? In other words, if he was meeting with someone who 'couldn't be seen' or was wanting to mask that he was going to a home close by would getting dropped there and using the trail accomplish this?

No, the park is not a shortcut to any homes. The fastest way to get to any house, would be back up the park driveway. It is at least a 5 minute walk to the shopping center from the park. It would have been much faster to drive around to the shopping center.

 

[SoCalRes]

I do too, especially when I read this from his father, gave me John/Patsy vibes (sorry):

“I am trying to keep as busy as possible trying to find him and not think about everything else. We have encouraged our friends and family to come over. We have 10-20 people in our house at a time and everyone is helpful. It’s been amazing,” he said.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...ft-parents-home-meet-friend-article-1.3741871

These homes are no where near the size of the Ramsey home. No basements, no attics, small yards. Straight forward floorplans. I would dare to say he isn't in the house.

 

[DizzyB]

That's a very interesting point about turning off location services so that someone on Grindr/whatever app could not locate you. I know that with Tinder, the closest it says a person is to you is "less than 500 feet", but Grindr is much more exact ("34 feet away", etc.) So if you were running away from someone in a park at night and did not want the person to be able to track you using the app, it would make sense to turn off your phone's location services.

So maybe you are in a groupchat w/a former classmate who had a a car and would have no problem dropping you off for a Grindr date. He drives you, hangs for a few minutes to make sure your date is there, makes a pit stop in the rest room. He comes out, Blaze is gone. He figures he must have met his date, shoots him a text or two, no response. Figures all is well and departs.
Independent of this, a friend gets a worrisome text from Blaze-maybe his Grindr date is a weirdo, he' s taking off and disabling location services so the guy can't follow him.
Maybe classmate sees something posted online or Snapchat looking for Blaze, classmate gets worried something happened, or that Blaze's phone battery went dead and he's still out there. Goes back to take a look around, finds nothing. Classmate doesn't assume the worst, just figures Blaze is asleep or his phone is dead.

 

[Cherry]

Exactly Jersey Girl! My radar for all things controlling has been on overdrive. No sorry. I cannot stop thinking about him and his friends and family.

 

[4SAM]

Does anyone know on average how many people visit that park on a daily basis? Local people maybe you can answer this?

 

[tarabull]

Do you suppose this presser was held by the bathroom??? https://www.ocregister.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/0106_nws_ocr-l-missing-033.jpg?w=780

Close up of Missing Poster - seems it is in front of the public bathroom??? https://www.ocregister.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/0106_nws_ocr-l-missing-023.jpg?w=620

Pics found here: https://www.ocregister.com/2018/01/05/search-under-way-for-missing-19-year-old-lake-forest-man/

Here's the bathroom on streetview incase anyone wants to snoop around: https://goo.gl/maps/zw4uvw3V2hJ2

Seems the bathroom is next to the parking lot.....and the path (Borrego Trail) from there as in around the bathroom and thru the sports field appears pretty wide opened so not in amongst trees FWIW....you can take that path / trail north and west to come out quite a ways down Alton Pkwy FWIW (streetview: https://goo.gl/maps/k9joBHsSaSF2 )

https://www.yelp.ca/biz/borrego-trail-lake-forest

Just observing...sorry to interrupt.

PS The HS is here by the park also, Blaze knows this place very well. https://goo.gl/maps/69F7ARTpRzz

 

[Brownie01]

My theory:

Blaze and “hs friend” talked on snapchat extensively. They arranged to meet up and possibly hook up. They went to the park and something happened in the bathroom that made Blaze uncomfortable and run off. “Hs friend” waited in car to see if Blaze came back while he continued to text him trying to convince him to come back. Blaze didn’t return so the friend left. Blaze texted his best friend telling them what happened and that was the last text he sent before his phone died. He could have been too embarrassed and shooken up to return home.

Also, the hs friend for all we know gave 1 story to the police and has stuck with that 1 story and the media is just reporting hearsay which is why there are different stories of what the friend supposedly said happened.

Another thing- Just because they used the term hs friend doesn’t mean they were friends in high school. I have friends that I refer to as hs friends that I didn’t actually become friends will until we were out of hs but because we attended the same one I now refer to them as hs friends. It could have been someone he knew of in high school but didn’t befriend until Snapchat after highschool. The possibilities are endless.

I tend to agree with this theory. Is it possible that he ran off and then somehow found himself in harm’s way? Mountain lion?

I also agree that the “hs buddy” could well be a minor.

Let’s keep in mind that 19 year old brains are not yet fully formed and it can be difficult for us as adults to understand their decision making, or lack thereof.

I don’t see any issue with the buddy not calling the parents. Likely he wouldn’t have their contact info anyway. My teens don’t have their friends’ parents contact info in their phones.

 

[GlowingShadow]

Something is very odd to me about the third person who was allegedly waiting for him at the park. There is a huge silence around this person. By my logic, the third person obviously didn't teleport him/herself to the other end of the park. Somehow (s)he went there either with a car, uber or on foot. There are numerous buildings around with cameras (including a gas station ), so that person must have been recorded by at least one. The police knows the approximate timeline if the driver is telling the truth. Now, if the police would know, or would suspect someone then I'm pretty sure they would ask for public help to identify the person, the car etc. But nothing. It's been 7 days now, so by now they had all the time and permission to watch the footage recorded by security cameras. If he's not in the park and they didn't have any sign, evidence of him being there, was there really a third person? Or was there really a third person in the way the driver friend is saying? I'm more and more convinced that the park story is a cover up.