Found Deceased CA - Fang Jin, 47, flew to LA from China, train to Palm Springs, Morongo Basin, 21 Jul 2023, w/ JohnRoot Fitzpatrick, 55, missing, 30 Jul ‘23

[10ofRods]

Yes, pick up trucks are issued commercial license plates in California. I bought a few pick up trucks in my life for pleasure not business and they were issued a commercial license plates without me asking DMV.

Pickup trucks have the same license plate formulation as commercial plates, but are not automatically made "commercial." One has to file paperwork to get either "exempt" or "commercial" designations (all three of these have the same plate formula though).

Commercial Vehicle Registration - California DMV

Commercial vehicles that are designed, used, or maintained primarily to transport property or people for hire, compensation, or profit must be registered.

www.dmv.ca.gov

A commercial plate means you have a business license and have filled out additional paperwork. Merely buying a pick-up does not make it "commercial" or "exempt." (Federal and state owned vehicles are exempt).

So a pickup *can* be a commercial vehicle - but so can any other vehicle if it is properly registered in California as belonging to a business.

Here's what the DMV needs to make it an actual commercial license plate (there are other formulas for the plate than the one we've been discussing - as larger trucks get a different plate):

a vehicle falls in this category if it is being used for hire, compensation, or profit.Apr 19, 2021...

So you actually have to have a business attached to the vehicle, file the paperwork, etc. to make it commercial. Otherwise it's merely a pickup truck plate (a private vehicle).

Note that a commercial vehicle can also be a sedan, a station wagon, a hatchback, etc.

California Laws For Commercial Vehicles And Drivers

What do California's laws have to say about commercial vehicles and their drivers? here, we take a closer look at what the state has to say.

crockettlawgroup.com

 

[sasha17]

I'm sorry if this has been asked before, but how hard is it for the average Chinese citizen to get a visa to visit the US? Eg someone without a ton of wealth, a job that involves international travel, or significant family in the US? (We don't know a lot about FJ, but I'm assuming those things are true for her).

It looks fairly easy. Fill out forms, pay a fee, have an interview. A Chinese citizen with a tourist visa can legally stay in the United States for 90 days.

Technical Difficulties

Apply for a U.S. Visa | Business/Tourist Visa - China (English)

 

[Dhighsmith]

Is description from a donation account site allowed, I know it against the rules to link donation sites- may be answering my own question here but just checking?

 

[azure]

It looks fairly easy. Fill out forms, pay a fee, have an interview. A Chinese citizen with a tourist visa can legally stay in the United States for 90 days.

Technical Difficulties

Apply for a U.S. Visa | Business/Tourist Visa - China (English)

Yep, looking a little further it looks like 91% of business/tourist visa applications from Chinese citizens are granted: Travel.state.gov. With 90 days on her visa, she'd have no impetus to disappear now. That's the end of that theory. Too bad, because it would have meant she'd be safe.

 

[AnyNameIWish]

There doesn't seem to be much traction on this in LA news, and it certainly hasn't hit the news up here in Northern California.

Seems most of the buzz is within the Chinese language community, unfortunately, and we aren't allowed to post what's being said there.

 

[Dhighsmith]

There doesn't seem to be much traction on this in LA news, and it certainly hasn't hit the news up here in Northern California.

Seems most of the buzz is within the Chinese language community, unfortunately, and we aren't allowed to post what's being said there.

Sorry for duplicate messages but it’s storming here and had a blip that re-sent.

Edit: Jumped Screens too

 

[Coldpizza]

Forgive me if this has been mentioned already since I've only skimmed through this case. What came to my mind is Prostitution and Trafficking given the Morongo Casino Resort and Spa is right there. That Casino is the new Las Vegas given it's proximity to Palm Springs. I have a few friends that love to go play the slots there and they always have a good time and prefer it over Vegas.Not to mention the Palm Springs International Airport is right there. Just a thought.

 

[Laughing]

Forgive me if this has been mentioned already since I've only skimmed through this case. What came to my mind is Prostitution and Trafficking given the Morongo Casino Resort and Spa is right there. That Casino is the new Las Vegas given it's proximity to Palm Springs. I have a few friends that love to go play the slots there and they always have a good time and prefer it over Vegas.Not to mention the Palm Springs International Airport is right there. Just a thought.

This lady is 47 and has family & enough resources to travel internationally. Not an expert by any means, but imho trafficking isn't the issue in this case.

I suppose the lady may have been cagey about her age & circumstances while corresponding with the Other Missing Person?

If, theoretically, the Other Missing Person had a former spouse who bore a Chinese-style name, this Other Missing Person may possibly have known enough Chinese to check Chinese social media, and correspond with JF/FJ in Chinese, perhaps?

All just my opinion, of course, and plenty of perhaps/possibly/maybe and other wishy-washy words.

jmho ymmv lrr

 

[AliceInPain]

Still no word on Fang or whether the male subject is also missing or not. No searches going on?
Wish they (LE) would have put a picture of the truck in their missing poster, could help jog someone's memory. And trucks are easier to spot than humans if there was an accident.
Seems to be no effort at all put in to find this lady =*(

 

[megs1477]

This lady is 47 and has family & enough resources to travel internationally. Not an expert by any means, but imho trafficking isn't the issue in this case.

I suppose the lady may have been cagey about her age & circumstances while corresponding with the Other Missing Person?

If, theoretically, the Other Missing Person had a former spouse who bore a Chinese-style name, this Other Missing Person may possibly have known enough Chinese to check Chinese social media, and correspond with JF/FJ in Chinese, perhaps?

All just my opinion, of course, and plenty of perhaps/possibly/maybe and other wishy-washy words.

jmho ymmv lrr

That was my initial thought… then I wondered about the language issue. Does he speak mandarin (or whatever her native is) or does she speak English? If she doesn’t speak English, that could put her at a serious disadvantage.

 

[AliceInPain]

That was my initial thought… then I wondered about the language issue. Does he speak mandarin (or whatever her native is) or does she speak English? If she doesn’t speak English, that could put her at a serious disadvantage.

This is a scary thought because like you say it would make her even more vulnerable...

But also, she managed to get from LA to Palm Springs, surely she must have known a few words at least? Or was everything booked in advance? By male companion? Or her?

 

[Laughing]

Anyone know if FJ primarily spoke Cantonese or Mandarin?

Honestly just tryin' to ask a question that may have a simple answer.

Can anyone figure out if, er, possible associates of The Other Missing Person primarily spoke the same?

Just asking, of course, hypothetically.

jmho ymmv lrr

 

[AliceInPain]

This is American MSM no? (It's the same news site that was linked in post #1)

"Chinese news outlets and family friends of Fang have indicated that the man Fang was traveling with was John Root Fitzpatrick, a 52-year-old from Morongo Valley."
...
"The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department is not releasing any information related to the case, including whether there is a criminal investigation."

Missing woman’s family looks for answers; sheriff now reports man also missing

MORONGO BASIN — Limited information has come out about missing woman Fang Jin who was last seen on July 22. Fang went missing from the Morongo Basin area after traveling

www.hidesertstar.com

eta @Laughing I don't know, the translating service on the Chinese websites that are posting about her just says Chinese (simplified). If that helps.

 

[Laughing]

This is American MSM no? (It's the same news site that was linked in post #1)

"Chinese news outlets and family friends of Fang have indicated that the man Fang was traveling with was John Root Fitzpatrick, a 52-year-old from Morongo Valley."
...
"The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department is not releasing any information related to the case, including whether there is a criminal investigation."

Thanks! <modsnip>

imho, of course

jmho ymmv lrr

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Family and friends of missing 47-year-old Fang Jin shared this photo of her, which she sent while visiting Southern California before she went missing.

Chinese news outlets and family friends of Fang have indicated that the man Fang was traveling with was John Root Fitzpatrick, a 52-year-old from Morongo Valley. However, this has not been confirmed by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, whose public information officer stated that they will not comment on the case at this time.

Fang’s daughter, who is in China, posted photos of Fang and the man she was traveling with on social media and contacted several family friends in the United States. Some of the photos include images of a blue Toyota truck that they were traveling in.

Missing woman’s family looks for answers; sheriff now reports man also missing

MORONGO BASIN — Limited information has come out about missing woman Fang Jin who was last seen on July 22. Fang went missing from the Morongo Basin area after traveling

www.hidesertstar.com

 

[JennieM]

Could Morongo Basin not be releasing much info on this story out of fear of losing tourism?

 

[azure]

Could Morongo Basin not be releasing much info on this story out of fear of losing tourism?

I don't think so. Temps there have been literally deadly so I think if anything they're trying to turn tourists away right now. Plus, every national park/outdoor attraction has been swarmed with tourists since the pandemic, in many places backwoods passes/camping spots are extremely scarce. I don't think this story would make a dent.

 

[AliceInPain]

Could Morongo Basin not be releasing much info on this story out of fear of losing tourism?

I have no idea, I have seen "hush-ups" happen in certain areas of Thailand for example, but they rely more on tourism than any place in the US. There seem to be quite a few people missing in this area and Morongo Basin Sheriff's FB page usually post about them. I think (not meaning to shame any LE in this area at all, it's all just imo) it's San Bernardino County Sheriff's Dep. who are in actual charge of Fang's case, and I think they are doing a terrible job. Her poster --- no picture of truck, no specific details that could be helpful to the public -- no updates, no search, vague information to Morongo LE and media...
I don't know why it's so silent from their side, but very glad at least one source of MSM decided to pick this up!

 

[acutename]

Family and friends of missing 47-year-old Fang Jin shared this photo of her, which she sent while visiting Southern California before she went missing.

Chinese news outlets and family friends of Fang have indicated that the man Fang was traveling with was John Root Fitzpatrick, a 52-year-old from Morongo Valley. However, this has not been confirmed by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, whose public information officer stated that they will not comment on the case at this time.

Fang’s daughter, who is in China, posted photos of Fang and the man she was traveling with on social media and contacted several family friends in the United States. Some of the photos include images of a blue Toyota truck that they were traveling in.

Missing woman’s family looks for answers; sheriff now reports man also missing

MORONGO BASIN — Limited information has come out about missing woman Fang Jin who was last seen on July 22. Fang went missing from the Morongo Basin area after traveling

www.hidesertstar.com

so who took this picture? does not seem to be a "selfie" unless there is a stand on the
car window because her arms are down.

 

[10ofRods]

Could Morongo Basin not be releasing much info on this story out of fear of losing tourism?

I doubt that's the reason. I think they are being tight-lipped because right now, this is a criminal investigation.

People who go to Morongo for tourism are not likely to be following this case, IMO. It's not been big in the news here in SoCal. Most people who go to Morongo are more or less local to the area (Inland Empire, basically).

The only reason I can think of for SBCSO to not give details of cars, etc., is that they don't feel it will lead to finding her. Searches do not take place unless there is a last known sighting of a person near a place where a search could happen.

IMO.