GUILTY CA - Gianni, 24, & Sal Belvedere, 22, Ilona Flint, 22, San Diego, 24 Dec 2013 - #2

[thebestinthewest]

Ok one last one! Notice the cars in the background

 

[hmm_what_if?]

I do believe I know the email address for the lead Homicide Detective in charge - "Mike Hastings".

From September 2012:

“I work for all of you,” Hastings said. “Everybody has a boss in life and all of you are my boss, and so your priorities have to be our priorities — and they will be.”

(Somebody let me know if I should post his contact info here, [if it's allowed] thanks).

 

[Curious Me]

Does LE contact the family periodically to keep them informed that this case is still being worked on?

It breaks my heart to see the pictures of these three vibrant, young people, and knowing they are gone now.
My suggestion, if this is at all possible, is to set-up an appointment with either the lead detective or the new chief of police,
and make them look at these pictures in a strong plea for speedy justice. It can't be put on the back burner or forgotten.

 

[SDHELPS]

Does LE contact the family periodically to keep them informed that this case is still being worked on?

It breaks my heart to see the pictures of these three vibrant, young people, and knowing they are gone now.
My suggestion, if this is at all possible, is to set-up an appointment with either the lead detective or the new chief of police,
and make them look at these pictures in a strong plea for speedy justice. It can't be put on the back burner or forgotten.

A GREAT question for Best regarding the family still meeting with LE. I believe they were in the not so distant past but no idea if that is continuing. And if we cannot post the lead detective "Hastings" email here then should we bombard the news media in hopes that they will put the pressure on LE. LE certainly doesn't want the news media knocking on their door right now with all the SDPD problems going on. IMO if nothing else it would be a great way for SDPD to respond to the community that they are doing something other than defending themselves. :twocents:

 

[jggordo]

One thing that I have found myself falling into the pit of is San Diego in this case. Don't take that the wrong way! I believe a large percentage of solving this crime is in Riverside. I have this feeling that Gianni's car and body ended there and that San Diego came in and said OK we got this. I have not really hear anyone from Riverside lay any claim or responsibility to find out how someone could drive that vehicle there and leave it for that extended period of time with no follow up. So to me if we are going to ask one lead detective we should ask two. Riverside has just as much to answer for to me. JMO's

 

[Curious Me]

My own opinion is that Riverside could've been just a dropping off site of Gianni's car. I'm not sure if the actual crimes were connected to Riverside. I found it most shocking that the shootings happened in a popular mall of San Diego that is right in the middle of the Hotel Circle area. San Diego is a beautiful tourist destination. It would be in the best interest of the city and it's reputation if SDPD could solve this case. I tend to agree with SDHELPS, it would be a great way to respond to the community's concerns. We need to hear of the work they are doing to protect the public, IMO.

 

[jggordo]

My own opinion is that Riverside could've been just a dropping off site of Gianni's car. I'm not sure if the actual crimes were connected to Riverside. I found it most shocking that the shootings happened in a popular mall of San Diego that is right in the middle of the Hotel Circle area. San Diego is a beautiful tourist destination. It would be in the best interest of the city and it's reputation if SDPD could solve this case. I tend to agree with SDHELPS, it would be a great way to respond to the community's concerns. We need to hear of the work they are doing to protect the public, IMO.

IMO there are good and bad points of being in a tourism area. One of the bad is that tourists are only temporary. And realistically the more fuss that is made in a tourism area, the more it costs the tourism trade. So best to smooth it all over until everyone forgets about it. JMO's

 

[Curious Me]

IMO there are good and bad points of being in a tourism area. One of the bad is that tourists are only temporary. And realistically the more fuss that is made in a tourism area, the more it costs the tourism trade. So best to smooth it all over until everyone forgets about it. JMO's

That is so true. Things tend to get smoothed over and not mentioned as not to hurt the tourist trade. Also, maybe some communities have more long-term residents, or are more closely knit, where you'd see more public outrage.

Thinking about the Heather Elvis case in Myrtle Beach. Her family seemed to have a lot of public support and her father was very vocal to push for some answers.

Hope I'm making sense. I stay up way too late. Good Night.............................................fftobed:

 

[poppygirl]

The pictures make them so real - hard to explain, but even more heartbreaking....such vibrant young people, clearly loved by so many.

 

[SDHELPS]

I was at the Mission Valley Mall today and of course had to drive around the parking lot at Macy's. Although there were not a lot of cars parked over on the south/east side of the lot I couldn't find any markings from LE as to where the car was. Not that it matters but it made me sad that enough time has perhaps gone by the markings had faded away. I hope that the investigation is going strong and that the media at least brings it forward again. Just so damn sad :tears:

 

[hmm_what_if?]

I believe we need ask ourselves, "have we become vultures?"
Is our hearts in the right place while we wait for updates of news that may never come?
The sad truth is - "suffering is universal" - our 'need to know' may have already played a 'trick on our minds', fooling us into thinking, 'justice will heal'.
As far fetched as it may seem - we may be holding the memories of these beautiful young lives back from where they're meant to be.
I remember when my father died. I was unable to be there. And then I opened a book and found this Native American poem inside...

...and I let go.

"When I am dead
Cry for me only a little
Think of me sometimes
But not too much.
Think of me now and again
As I was in life
At the moments it's pleasant to recall
But not for long.
Leave me in peace
And I shall leave you in peace
And while you live
Let your thoughts be with the living."


Maybe we can survive, the family can survive, just knowing so many people cared and have seen their beautiful children - 'as they were".

God bless you all.

 

[jggordo]

I believe we need ask ourselves, "have we become vultures?"
Is our hearts in the right place while we wait for updates of news that may never come?
The sad truth is - "suffering is universal" - our 'need to know' may have already played a 'trick on our minds', fooling us into thinking, 'justice will heal'.
As far fetched as it may seem - we may be holding the memories of these beautiful young lives back from where they're meant to be.
I remember when my father died. I was unable to be there. And then I opened a book and found this Native American poem inside...

...and I let go.

"When I am dead
Cry for me only a little
Think of me sometimes
But not too much.
Think of me now and again
As I was in life
At the moments it's pleasant to recall
But not for long.
Leave me in peace
And I shall leave you in peace
And while you live
Let your thoughts be with the living."


Maybe we can survive, the family can survive, just knowing so many people cared and have seen their beautiful children - 'as they were".

God bless you all.

Hmmm you have some beautiful thoughts and as well poem. The question you ask is a provocative one. I suppose we are all "vultures" awaiting news and results of an investigation that we hope and prey will make some sort of sense of a tragedy that we cannot comprehend. It's part of human nature in my opinion.

I do not believe that Justice heals us but I do believe it helps to heal the social concept that these things just happen and therefor we become apathetic and just go on until we read of the next one and the next one.

I am sorry for the loss of your father. I too have experienced that, as well as my mother. The difference is you as well as I have been able to open books their books and find the poems they either wrote or loved, as they had their time to do so, the long or short of it. In a way they published their lives.

These three young people did not have that chance. Someone took that opportunity away with no apparent reason. At times like these it takes an army of voices to those that no longer can speak or publish their poems.

Most of the detectives have probably gone home to have family dinner and the weekend with those they love. However there is going to be one family that will never have lasagna and smiles the same again.

JMO's

 

[hmm_what_if?]

Hmmm you have some beautiful thoughts and as well poem. The question you ask is a provocative one. I suppose we are all "vultures" awaiting news and results of an investigation that we hope and prey will make some sort of sense of a tragedy that we cannot comprehend. It's part of human nature in my opinion.

I do not believe that Justice heals us but I do believe it helps to heal the social concept that these things just happen and therefor we become apathetic and just go on until we read of the next one and the next one.

I am sorry for the loss of your father. I too have experienced that, as well as my mother. The difference is you as well as I have been able to open books their books and find the poems they either wrote or loved, as they had their time to do so, the long or short of it. In a way they published their lives.

These three young people did not have that chance. Someone took that opportunity away with no apparent reason. At times like these it takes an army of voices to those that no longer can speak or publish their poems.

Most of the detectives have probably gone home to have family dinner and the weekend with those they love. However there is going to be one family that will never have lasagna and smiles the same again.

JMO's

Thank you very much for the kind words concerning my father.
He was a physicist (and a philosopher), as crazy as that may sound.
He was also an inventor as well. Many of the personal security/identity products we use today, he created.

The poem and words I supplied above were for the family, (and society as a whole).
I certainly hope if my life were ever taken from me, the perpetrator wouldn't be given the pleasure of taking the remaining life out of those I loved to become stagnate or void of enjoyment.

Yes, by all means the culprit should be brought to justice at all cost!
Yet what would the future cost be? More suffering for the families during a trial? And how long would that go on? Years and years I suspect...

There must be another way for the families of victims to get through this.
I personally have been a victim of three major violent crimes and one thing I learned coming out of it was, "the victim is always the victim".

(BTW, I'm a bit shocked and surprised Macy's nor Westfield has not offered, or added to, the reward fund).

P.S. Don't be so harsh on the Detectives. They didn't commit the crime. They work very, very, hard to solve crimes and often times the criminals they're chasing aren't in the "system" (yet).
All the DNA, fingerprints and evidence collected won't bring back a match if the criminal has just begun his/her career and never been arrested before. They might be "young" and so yet to be arrested.

"Time takes time"

 

[Curious Me]

5.1 Earthquake tonight!

I felt it, for sure. Nothing got damaged in my place, no broken glass or cracked walls that I know of yet. Seems like more of a fast, jolting kind of quake this time. Glad I was sitting down at home, and not on the freeway. Hope everyone is safe.

 

[mrsobrien]

I was sitting on the floor of my apartment on the 6th floor. They feel so much worse in a high rise! Im all the wsy in San Diego and there was no mistaking that shaker. :-/

5.1 Earthquake tonight!

I felt it, for sure. Nothing got damaged in my place, no broken glass or cracked walls that I know of yet. Seems like more of a fast, jolting kind of quake this time. Glad I was sitting down at home, and not on the freeway. Hope everyone is safe.

 

[Curious Me]

I was sitting on the floor of my apartment on the 6th floor. They feel so much worse in a high rise! Im all the wsy in San Diego and there was no mistaking that shaker. :-/

Yes, the 6th floor would be worse. Glad you're okay. The news says the earthquake could've been a fore-shock, and we still have to worry about another bigger one following. Keeping that in mind, reminding myself to have a safety plan.

 

[thebestinthewest]

Hi Guys! Im sorry I havent been posting but my regular job has been owning me, we have been going through an FDA audit and even my dogs are getting neglected. Im working on the site right now ( I feel so bad I have been lagging but i really want to do it right) I wanted to share something with you guys because I really do think of all of you as good friends! Bessie will always be my favorite but still haha I got this from Sal and Giannis mom. I hope it means as much to you guys as it does to me.
I have been inspired to share with you as a mother about the loss of our children.

For those of you who have children and never experienced this loss, you could only imagine.
I’m sure you are all asking yourselves how do you continue on with life?
I can tell you this… you can never prepare.

Since I was 33 years old I have been battling an illness I call it the invisible illness, and doctors called it Cfids.
It changed my life dramatically.
No longer could I stand on my feet.
I’ve had no strength to cook a meal, attend to my children’s needs, or lead a normal life as a wife and mother.

Most of us look at illness as a horrible time in our lives, a time of suffering and pain.
I understand why we feel this way.

I struggled with the inability to get out of bed from weakness and pain.
The kids really don’t remember a time when I wasn’t sick.

My children spent a lot of time hanging out in my bedroom while I was in bed.
We snuggled.
They cheered me up.
We talked, giggled and cried together.
My children and husband made a lot of sacrifices, and some how managed
to do things on their own.
As the years passed they worked Together as a team and we got through it.

If you asked me in the beginning of my illness, I would of said:
I was miserable and mad at God.
What did I do to deserve this?
I would beg him to cure me.
Why would he not restore my health?
I desperately wanted to be a normal mother and wife.

Somewhere in the middle of it, I realized
There are only two paths I could choose.
I could stop believing there was a God. Hate him and never pray again.
Which is the easy way out?
Accept this cross and bear it.
Which is the hardest road.
So I chose to take the hard road

My illness over the years has opened me to gratitude – the desire to appreciate life fully and to see what I have that’s right in front of me.
I learned that I was way more then my physical shell. That my soul, my spirit, was a real part of me.
The only one there for me, still loving me, ever constant and always reliable has been God. So I've got to know him better. It seemed the right thing to do.
My prayer life is now very active. It definitely brought me closer to God.
For one thing it has helped me to think of God more in everyday life. It has also helped me to let go of the trivial things in the material world that have distracted me from my relationship with God.

Gradually, I came to accept the idea that perhaps I never could go back to my old life. I can get by and be satisfied with so much less than I did before.

I learned that death was no longer my biggest fear…living was.


Now 3 of my beloved children have been taken away.
I’ve been asking the lord everyday.
Why did you let this tragedy happen to our families?
Why didn't you step in and save protect, our loved one?

I have known of angels intervening and warning people from tragedy.
Why didn't that happen with Gianni, Iona and Sal?

Why, lord? We are good parents, we prayed, and we taught them good morals.
There has never been any violence in our families,
Why lord? Are we being punished?
We were a happy family, good parents, why disrupt our happy life. What did we do to deserve this?

So here I am again asking god why did you take these 3 precious children from me.
How much more suffering can I endure once again?
I find myself at that cross road again,
Do I choose to hate God? Or finish my life with prayer, courage and endure the rest of my life without my sons and Ilona.


If God is infinitely good, why does he allow so much evil and suffering in the world?

Although I don’t think God causes evil, he does allow evil to be done by creatures that possess a free will.
There are people who willingly choose to live in the hellish nightmare of hatred and uncontrolled, murderous jealousy.

God is justified in allowing people to choose to do evil; he is not justified in allowing that evil to come to pass.
Instead, maybe God could arrange a coincidental miracle to counteract the intended evil.

Prayer alone does not always stop evil—Satan is powerful and has great influence in this world today. Prayer alone cannot stop every tragedy. However, prayer—intimate conversation with God—can help us understand and cope with tragedies like this. And I hear the words of St. Thomas Aquinas


Two things happen when there is a tragedy:
God permits evil in order to draw forth some greater good, and maybe it could prevent a greater evil.
I already see a greater good; my younger son, Sal, gave the gift of life, He gave his precious heart on Christmas to another person so they may live. He also saved two other lives with the organs he donated.
So, Here lies my growing sadness and sorrow.
I’m supposed to die before my young sons.
Why didn’t you take me?
How lord could you leave me here to endure this suffering?
Should I seek revenge on the people that did this to my family?

Justice Yes! Revenge no.
No, because the anger and hatred would imprison me and I would be consumed with hatred in my heart.

But once again I will take up my cross and sorrow and continue to walk with Jesus in his footsteps on the road to Calvary.

I’m not alone, I tell myself,
“Jesus is by my side.”
At the end of my earthly journey,
My precious handsome sons will be there with open arms to receive me.
Then I can live in peace without fear, without separation, without wanting and suffering.
No more fears no more tears just pure unconditional love and eternal happiness.

So pray, forgive. Give lots of hug, Call or send a text to your loved ones. Tell them you love them unconditionally because tomorrow may not be there.
Help support the control on guns so they don’t end up in the wrong hands.
Don’t let revenge and hatred fester in your hearts. But forgive, and love unconditionally and walk with the lord to the end.
Our families would like to extend our gratitude for all your prayers and support that you have given us through this horrible tragedy.
But Please continue praying for us to have the courage and strength to go on with our lives.

 

[jggordo]

TheBestInTheWest- Where you been? I see you've been a busy young lady. Hope the quake didn't shake you all up too much.

That ^^^ is moving and inspiring. Makes me realize the things in my life that trouble me are just trivial things. Just sayin...

 

[thebestinthewest]

Jgordo, no quake can shake this up! but the FDA can haha i had a crazy audit at work and since I am the CFO and on the board I had to be there for the whole thing. Luckily I am off for the next few days to finally finish the Belvedere site! I am going to post stuff as I go along more photos and more good stuff that you can give me some input if I should change it

 

[thebestinthewest]

This is from Ilona's mom-
ILONA G. FLINT
A roaring fireplace. Dinner rolls. Holiday decorations, Christmas music, the kids playing games in the front room, excited for the next day’s bounty of gifts.
We were just as thrilled as the kids were for a trip to San Diego over New Years to visit our daughter Ilona and her fiancée Gianni Belvedere and his family.
Two Provo Police officers arrived at our door, and they asked us to excuse the kids to another room so they could speak with us. When the kids had gone downstairs, the officers spoke bluntly. They said the words. There had been an “incident” at a mall parking lot in San Diego. That’s when we knew…
Ilona’s voicemail greeting was, “Have a Merry Day,” spoken with tender, childlike sincerity. This is really what Ilona was all about.
She was born March 21, 1991, in a little town near the Arctic Circle, in Russia. It was one of the coldest days in March ever on record: negative 34 Celsius. Born in one of the coldest places on earth, she was one of the warmest human beings to those in need.
Once, in St. Petersburg, Russia when she was five years old, the heavy crowd pushed her out of the train and she was left alone on the platform. When her panicked parents returned to the station, they found her sitting on a bench, chatting it up with every stranger she met, without a care in the world.
Ilona never thought of people as strangers. As we went through the letters and cards we received from her friends, we were overwhelmed by how many of them expressed how caring she was, how many of them felt alone or ostracized until she stepped into their lives with her radiant, welcoming smile.
Her friends cherished the recollection of her distinctive beauty mark, the one that twinkled under her left eye’s bright corner. But Ilona was not merely physically beautiful. She had a personality that captivated, whose presence uplifted, amplified the good energy in the room—commanded it. She engaged in every conversation, contributed to the madness. She held her own with anyone she spoke with.
She was even comfortable with herself when she immigrated to America. While at Disneyland, at the age of seven, when performers pulled her on stage, Ilona sang her heart out…in complete gibberish. She didn’t speak a word of English, but felt very strongly that you just don’t speak Russian at Disneyland.
She loved many types of music, from Modest Mouse to Joan Jett to Jeff Buckley to Tycho. She played piano and loved reading so much she was compulsive about it. If something fascinated her, she would read extensively until her knowledge on the subject approached a level bordering on encyclopedic.
Ilona was a mixture of several “types” in one: she was at once a budding psychologist, a fashion designer, and a revolutionary. Ilona had a healthy cynicism, but she especially felt this way toward cynics.
As a child, she learned to cope with life despite the loss of her step-father whom she loved. On the day that Jeff passed away suddenly at home, the steely 12-year old made the 9-1-1 call. If Jeff might have been resuscitated, it was going to be due to Ilona’s decisive action. And early Christmas Eve, she showed similar, remarkable resolve. In the last moments of her life, she made telephone contact, heroically doing all she could do to rescue herself and her friend. Had Sal been able to pull through, it would have been Ilona’s doing.
Ilona proved, in spite of her life’s brevity, remarkable capacity. She was smart, but didn’t wear it on her sleeve. She was beautiful, but she wasn’t a narcissist. She was kind but didn’t use her kindness as social currency. She was one of the most honest people, constantly striving for her most authentic self.
Your prayers have kept us going the past three months. Without you, your love and kindness, it would not have been possible for us to cope with this devastating tragedy. We believe that together we can find the answers. Thank you for all your support.