Found Deceased CA - Blaze Bernstein, 19, Lake Forest, 2 Jan 2018 #1

[Whiteorchids]

The most dangerous time for someone in a relationship can be when they are trying to end it.

It makes me think of the Jerome Roger and reality star Lisa Naegle case

 

[Whiteorchids]

Aw yes! The friend, who the parents didn't know, but BB had been friends with prior, could have been an OC hook up friend. That's why he had to give him his address. Is that what you're thinking?

Your right on.

 

[Whiteorchids]

His Parents said lots of back and forth social media chatting before he left but the app didn't keep records.

 

[Anxiousmom]

Hello everyone.

I am new to this board and new to this thread. I have been unable to sleep since Blaze has been missing and I was compelled to write on here to possibly answer some questions and ask my own.

I live walking distance from the family and know them in an unofficial way. I have interacted with the mom multiple times as I am taking my kids on walks/Halloween/etc. She is a very nice person and has been invested in the safety of my kids since day 1. She always tells me if there are dogs not on leashes, dogs to watch out for (she is a dog owner and she told me about a pit bull in the neighborhood), etc. I have spoken to her about the schools and the school system. I remember her being very proud of her kids, especially Blaze and mentioning how amazing he is.I have also met Blaze's grandmother on a couple of occasions. This seems like a tight-knit, loving family.


A few things -

We had AT&T and it was extremely spotty, so switched over to Verizon (they had the best coverage for the area when we switched over a few years back). There are patches in the neighborhood where for a few seconds, I can lose service while driving even with Verizon. I wouldn't be surprised if Blaze did not have service if it was a loaner phone and he ended up in some remote area.

Borrego Park is interchangeably referred to the "Library Park" since it is right next to the Foothill Ranch Library. If BB was indeed in trouble and in the park, he could have ran to the connecting shopping center. I think the family are original home-owners, so as a kid growing up in the town – he was probably very familiar with the parks/streets/stores.

The homes on this street aren't estates but if something is happening at the front of your house. (For example, a conversation, kids driving off, etc. and you have newer windows for good insulation), you may not be able to hear it unless it was very loud. Our neighbors have kids and we hear them being picked up/dropped off if there is loud music coming from their cars or they are laughing about something and I happened to be on that side of the house when it has happened.

There are two ways to get to Library Park from where we live - the "long way" or the "short way" depending on what side of the street you live on. It is a brisk 15-20 walk down and probably closer to 20-25 minutes on the way back with the hill but can be done in 20.

We haven't had anyone come by asking for surveillance footage/or ask us for any information. I think gathering surveillance footage from the neighborhood is key. From the Bernstein house - the "short way" is probably the logical way to the park. As I drove to work this morning, I saw a house with cameras that would have direct view of the car on its way out of the neighborhood towards the park. I am sure there are more homes with cameras/Ring to see what if anything was happening between the hours of 10pm - 4am. Was Blaze outside having a conversation, got in the front seat, back seat, was there a 3rd person in the car? Footage could provide us with some key missing information.

The OCSD has not released the name of the "friend" or his car information. They haven't even released the last text message detail and the relationship of the individual it was sent to. I find all of this extremely puzzling and disconcerting. We are almost entering a week since he has gone missing! I just keep praying this is just one bad dream and he is going to show up out of hiding any day now.

IMO - OCSD has told the parents exactly what can be mentioned in their pleas to the public. We visited the park yesterday and aside from the drone search, there weren't any "official' searches going on. There are hundreds of people like us willing to help, but no mention yet of a volunteer search. I feel as though we just don't know so much of the story/facts. I can only assume the "friend" is under heavy surveillance and they are waiting for some major break to bring this individual in.
Also, the Cadillac is still parked on the street. It is not in front of a home but parked in a no-parking zone on a main road.

Praying for the family.

 

[Elainera]

Fantastic first post, GlowingShadow.

The two versions of what happened at the park...Are these two different versions as reported by the media, or two different versions offered at different times by the same person (driver)?

I was just wondering the same. The restroom bit was added in later articles so maybe reporters only found out about it after a few days? If the friend told two different stories - big red flag!

 

[anonypotomous]

I think they know 100% why Blaze was there at the park that night. It's just not being released. Or if the friend is lying to cover his own a**, he'll eventually crack under interrogation. It's doubtful that a teen would be able to keep up a facade for very long, if in fact he's involved in Blaze's disappearance.

 

[T_mar]

Oh my goodness, what a scary story. So glad you were ok!

 

[crhedBngr]

Welcome, Anxiousmom!

Thank you for that insightful and informative first post.

:welcome4:

 

[tarabull]

:welcome6: Anxiousmom

:tyou: for joining us!!

 

['Ailina]

Thoughts...

(snipped by me)

4. I find it VERY hard to believe that Old Buddy had no idea why Blaze was going to the park. If Blaze rang up Old Buddy and said, "Hey, I need a ride to the park, can you come give me a lift?" wouldn't most people normally ask why your friend needs a ride to the park at night? We are totally not getting the whole story from the friend. Hopefully, though, LE is, and they just aren't releasing that info. There would also, one would think, be a dialogue between BB and Old Buddy about what was to happen after arriving at the park. "I just need you to wait for me for a few minutes, then give me a ride back home (or we will go grab some food, etc.)

5. As we see in so many cases, the family/friends are wanting to keep his reputation from being tarnished. This amazes me, but it happens all the time. If I were missing, I would want my family to explore any and all theories about what happened to me and even if I had 'dark' things about my personal life, well, those are the very things that might hold the clues to finding me and SAVING me!

(snipped by me)

4. I agree with you completely. I think the driver is basically offering the stance, "I don't know anything, didn't hear anything, didn't see anything, wasn't there."

But we know he was. For hours, the driver's communications and actions were all about BB. Heavy communication like that, then BB just asks the driver for a ride, end of story? Nope. It's what he's not saying that speaking.

5. From what I observed in the interviews, BB's parents don't at all strike me as caring a whit about his "reputation." I sensed they're immovably confident in who BB is and his represention of himself...I think the subject of reputation would be "beneath" them, and I don't mean that in a sarcastic sense. I mean in a genuine, solid way.

 

[CrimeDawg123]

Meeting at parks and dark areas has been a part of gay culture for decades. It arose out of necessity but has continued due to culture.

http://www.cruisinggays.com/santa-ana/c/areas/

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/dec/29/cruising-gay-culture-2016

http://www.cruisinggays.com/irvine/c/areas/

Although I don;t know what his sexuality is and I don;t think Borrego park or Whiting ranch are cruising areas. But I wanted to point out how a young, smart man might meet someone in a dark place at night.

That was my first thought.

 

[GlowingShadow]

Fantastic first post, GlowingShadow.

The two versions of what happened at the park...Are these two different versions as reported by the media, or two different versions offered at different times by the same person (driver)?

Reported by the media. I don't know how could they get two different versions from one police report, but everything about this friend seems questionable to me. Information is vague, of course, but I just don't get it how can someone leave a friend in the middle of the night at a park when he does not answer his phone anymore. Another thing: his GPS locator was turned off before his phone went off. This means that was a deliberate action (maybe to protect battery?) or the person he was with turned it off. Does anyone know if the GPS on hos phone confirmed that he was at the park? Because to me this whole park story seems just a cover up. I'd look more into two other areas: 1. Upper Oso Reservoir area 2. the road that goes up to Irvine lake.

 

[T_mar]

Hi all! New here! So it took me quite a few days to catch up on everything. Wow you all are awesome btw.



It was pretty simple to see where they live through google. I did a street view and took myself toward the park. It seems like a very easy walk from their home and access from the neighborhood. I’m assuming I’m looking at the right park. Borrego Canyon Overlook Park?

 

[Elainera]

His Parents said lots of back and forth social media chatting before he left but the app didn't keep records.

Thinking ... Has it ever been stated with whom he had this lengthy conversation prior to taken off? I don't think it has been. I was assuming it was with the (supposed) third friend, but maybe it was the driver-friend? Back and forth on the app, arguing perhaps? Then meeting to sort it out face-to-face and something happened. Driver friend admitted Blaze was upset ...

I agree with others that it looks likely Blaze tried to break off with the driver friend and he didn't take that well. Maybe Blaze had met a new love interest at college, just speculating.

 

[DizzyB]

A lot of possibilities actually.

In any event, so much is going on at that age - stressors due to college or work, social issues due to social media, social pressures, etc, (I am thinking about a young, very successful seeming young runner who jumped off a carport at her college. No one would have ever known how troubled she actually was. She never adjusted to college.), the emergence of mental health issues, dealing with sex and dating and intimate relationships, leaving the family nest, becoming an adult, dealing with changing friendships, trying to figure out the character of people around you, etc.

So much could have happened.

And from the same Ivy. Madison was local to me. In retrospect, many saw her sadness, but not before.

I also followed a case here a few months back, Nick Pratico, parents, friends & family said he would never voluntarily leave, search parties, dogs, flyers, lots of caring concerned people looking for him. It took a month to find him, yards away from where he was last seen, when the seasons changed. No foul play.

 

[HoveringWombats]

Hi Gitana I don't even think it was a friend. I'm thinking more along the lines of a Grindr hookup. Blaze had to give him his address. The word friend is used very loosely these days.

I agree this seems odd. But there are plausible explanations. For example, I have a terrible sense of direction. Even if I've been to a place many times, I almost always want to plug it in to GPS to make sure I don't take a wrong turn. Especially at night, in suburbs with curving roads and houses that all look the same.

Also, it's been many years since I was in HS, but I definitely had HS friends who never made it to my house. I don't think it's a safe assumption that every friend will have been to your house and remember how to get there in the dark (and/or have programmed your home address into their contacts).

 

[Voice4theSilent]

Hi all! New here! So it took me quite a few days to catch up on everything. Wow you all are awesome btw.



It was pretty simple to see where they live through google. I did a street view and took myself toward the park. It seems like a very easy walk from their home and access from the neighborhood. I’m assuming I’m looking at the right park. Borrego Canyon Overlook Park?

No, Borrego Park (by the library) about a mile away from the Overlook Park.

 

[luckylis]

As far as I know, it was a guy. Some confusion arose from a poorly worded article.

However, apparently later that evening* a text was sent from the phone Blaze had been using to a female friend of his. Something about that text made authorities suspect that foul play had occurred. Though because it sounds like Blaze's parents didn't realize he was missing until the next day, I suspect that the suspicious text was discovered later, in retrospect.

*I thought this was later in the evening but another poster here says it was at 11:30pm. Will double-check when I get a chance.

Per OCSD, they do NOT suspect foul play. Check their latest Twitter. It's the parents that, in earlier reports, that think foul play occurred. But i don't see *recent* repo that they still think this.

 

[Amber34]

I typed this out this morning, but dashed off before posting. Just some musings.....

The stories about this case are all over the place. This one from Forward is super simplified and could read "Boy goes missing when friend nips to the loo". No mention of a third party.

https://forward.com/fast-forward/39...ays-after-leaving-parents-home-to-meet-frien/

The story from the LA Times that the one above quotes, mentions long conversations via social media apps that do not leave a permanent record. How do they know how long the communication was going on for if there is no record? The story on there is from someone in the sheriffs dept, and no specific mention of a third party there either. Are these sources just simplifying the story? I would have thought the sheriff's department would be more inclined to mention it if they believed there was a third party involved.

http://beta.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-oc-missing-student-20180106-story.html

The Daily Mail (renowned for making it up as they go along) mentions meeting a third party, but states the person who picked him up didn't get out of the car (complete opposite to that of the Forward who states the driver went to the toilets).

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5243749/Ivy-Legaue-student-19-goes-missing-family-visit.html

Annee Della Donna is the source of the third party story:

Annee Della Donna, an attorney and friend of the family, discussed the timeline since Blaze's mysterious disappearance.

"At 9:30 p.m., he sent a text message with his family's Lake Forest address for a high school buddy to pick him up and take him to the park to meet the third person," she said. "The park is five minutes away and they got there about 10:30 p.m. Bernstein went off alone into the park while his friend waited back in the car."

Bernstein's friend eventually began sending text messages to him when he didn't return, but did not hear back from him, she said. The friend left and then returned at about 4 a.m. to look for Bernstein again"

https://patch.com/california/lakeforest-ca/missing-lake-forest-have-you-seen-blaze-bernstein

A couple of sources state a person matching BB's description was seen walking along the southbound lanes of the 241 Toll road. This information is also attributed to ADD, and yet the OCSD does not mention a third party nor any sightings.

http://www.thedp.com/article/2018/0...-blaze-bernstein-philadelphia-blaze-bernstein

https://www.facebook.com/OCSheriff/photos/a.94687544677.87075.93196209677/10155599518824678/?type=3

In several sources it is stated dogs have been out searching but with no trace of BB was found at the park.

The only reference I can find related to a phone ping is on Reddit, which doesn't mean there was - only that the phone went off at 23:30


When you pull the whole lot together, it seems:

BB was in contact with someone

BB left the house with that person and disappeared.

No park
No ping
No third party

JMO

 

[Voice4theSilent]

I agree this seems odd. But there are plausible explanations. For example, I have a terrible sense of direction. Even if I've been to a place many times, I almost always want to plug it in to GPS to make sure I don't take a wrong turn. Especially at night, in suburbs with curving roads and houses that all look the same.

Also, it's been many years since I was in HS, but I definitely had HS friends who never made it to my house. I don't think it's a safe assumption that every friend will have been to your house and remember how to get there in the dark (and/or have programmed your home address into their contacts).

Agreed!