CA CA - Bryce Laspisa, 19, Castaic, 30 Aug 2013 - #3

[BluePoppy]

FB update indicates Castaic Lake Recreation Area is no longer a place to be searching & indicates looking at hospitals, shelters, or other places he may go for help. (Unless other info discovered from cell/laptop)

This troubles me. Why the certainty to not search the lake area any more?
I expect to be in the area in the near future & hoped to search. All my senses want to go to the lake area.

 

[nikb]

For those who don't do FB, the family's update says among other things that they are continuing to examine his laptop and cell phone, and that "all other search evidence results and investigative findings indicate that Bryce left the recreation area." They say that Castaic is no longer considered a search area.

I wonder what makes them seem so certain that he left the lake area. Footprints? Something on his phone or computer? (I know they're not done examining it but maybe they found something so far) Something that is in fact missing from the duffel bag? Did they confirm a reported sighting somehow?

 

[ShannonS]

Thanks!!! It states that all info from the investigation indicates BRyce has left the area of Castaic Lake, either due to embarrassment, confusion or whatever: https://www.facebook.com/FINDBRYCELASPISA

embarrassment/freak out was one of my thoughts too but the way they insist he'd call home over a hangnail... but not for a car crash. i'm now leaning towards a mental break... really didn't want to go there but it seems most logical reason for not hearing from him all this time. truly hope he is ok and found soon!!

 

[RoseGarden]

Thought I would try "walking" the road from the ramp area, via Google's little walking guy. I found myself turning left at the corner of Ridge Route and the main road as it was "closer" and there were buildings visible. With a little hike, I wound up at the Shell Station (left side) where all of the truckers pull off and refuel. (In the Google snapshot, a truck from Idaho was right there - funny.). So it is possible that he hitched a ride at the station. Plenty of truckers there, day and night. Here's that view, if interested: http://goo.gl/3dSYn3 So posting in locations and sites where truckers go might be a great idea. If he hitched a ride with a truck there, it may be in another state, and the driver unaware that this is now a missing person case.... Just postulations, thoughts, my own opinions!

 

[Quester]

FB update indicates Castaic Lake Recreation Area is no longer a place to be searching & indicates looking at hospitals, shelters, or other places he may go for help. (Unless other info discovered from cell/laptop)

This troubles me. Why the certainty to not search the lake area any more?
I expect to be in the area in the near future & hoped to search. All my senses want to go to the lake area.

:dunno: but I hope someone fills us in on what LE has that leads them to believe BL left the area.

 

[Voice4theSilent]

Thought I would try "walking" the road from the ramp area, via Google's little walking guy. I found myself turning left at the corner of Ridge Route and the main road as it was "closer" and there were buildings visible. With a little hike, I wound up at the Shell Station (left side) where all of the truckers pull off and refuel. (In the Google snapshot, a truck from Idaho was right there - funny.). So it is possible that he hitched a ride at the station. Plenty of truckers there, day and night. Here's that view, if interested: http://goo.gl/3dSYn3 So posting in locations and sites where truckers go might be a great idea. If he hitched a ride with a truck there, it may be in another state, and the driver unaware that this is now a missing person case.... Just postulations, thoughts, my own opinions!

I love Google's little walking guy :heartbeat:

 

[tamrabbit]

It would be nice to know what "evidence results and investigative findings indicate Bryce left the recreation area". I find this hard to swallow. This is what LE told my brother-in-law about his daughter. But I was the one who found her body 2 days later. They were wrong. If he had left the recreation area, I would think he would have checked email or FB or contacted friends. It seems much more likely that something happened at the lake. I've been to the lake and there are so many places his body could be if something happened to him accidentally or intentionally.

Quote from Sgt. Pena "It's a search designed to find someone who wants to be found. In other words, you're not searching places and then leaving people there in case the person comes back. You're taking into account that the person wants to be found, and we weren't able to locate him."

If they weren't looking for a body, I dont think their search has been extensive enough. The lake shoreline is almost 30 miles! And there is miles upon miles of trails and brush that extend beyond that shoreline.

I don't know what to say, but to call the search off of the lake seems premature. I hope I'm wrong and that hes out there somewhere alive and hiding, but my intuition says otherwise.

 

[2Hope4]

Anyone estranged from the family he could have went to stay with??? Otherwise, get that billboard up near a truck stop, and flyers to truck drivers!! Rest areas, gas stations, fast food joints, places people have to go... grocery stores, etc.

 

[2Hope4]

Any friends his parents have said they don't want him hanging with, etc. Has family spoke to his college friends??

 

[kmw461]

Was the roommate interviewed by LE? I would have thought so by now. That should tell them what Bryce was struggling with.

 

[timothymyers02]

The FB update is rather vague. I think the purpose of the meeting was to acquaint the family with all the efforts that LE had made in searching around the recreational area and in the lake for Bryce so there was no point in conducting further searches there.

So if Bryce left the lake area and did not get a ride from someone he either walked into the greater SCV which is heavily suburbanized and one would think he would have been spotted (actually) in three weeks. The other alternative is the Angeles National Forest, which borders Castaic and is 1,024 square miles of real wilderness, with limited trails and very brushy; difficult to search. I have done trail hiking up there with the Scouts and if one goes even a few steps off a trail you can lose sight of your fellow hikers in a hurry. Also, someone not experience in the outdoors could mistake a game trail for an actually trail and get hopelessly lost since these game trails follow the easy ridge line to help animals navigate to water sources and can end suddenly.

Remember the two hikers lost over Easter Weekend earlier this year in the Cleveland National Forest in Orange County? They were found (alive) NOT by professional SAR but by day hikers who heard them calling for help after professional SAR (and all the ambient noise created by helicopters, vehicles and dogs) cleared out and they could be heard. They were also found within a mile of their vehicle and the trail head where they entered, in (of course) an area previously "searched."

 

[Voice4theSilent]

Was the roommate interviewed by LE? I would have thought so by now. That should tell them what Bryce was struggling with.

Absolutely. And also why he was sure that Bryce was trying to find himself and didn't want to be found.

I am also interested to know why his ex roommate wasn't surprised when Bryce went missing.

 

[Quester]

Sgt. Pena: "It's a search designed to find someone who wants to be found. In other words, you're not searching places and then leaving people there in case the person comes back. You're taking into account that the person wants to be found, and we weren't able to locate him."
​

Why was Sgt. Pena talking in riddles?

It almost sounds like he was saying: we know where BL is, and because we know where he is we're not going to search there because we don't want to come face to face with him, so we're going to allow him to come forward when/if he wants to come forward.

OR ... it is just not in the English language ... he's translating from his primary language into English and the translation just doesn't work - not comprehensible.

OR ... ???

 

[Voice4theSilent]

The last text Bryce sent to the roomie "you saved my soul" makes me think his roommate helped him come to terms with something he was struggling with.

The ex-roomie implied that Bryce's partying habits were above & beyond, so I'm assuming he believes his disappearance is drug related. At least that's my take.

I assume so, too, though thinking someone would end up disappearing like this because he "partied harder than most students" seems odd to me.

 

[Whiteorchids]

The FB update is rather vague. I think the purpose of the meeting was to acquaint the family with all the efforts that LE had made in searching around the recreational area and in the lake for Bryce so there was no point in conducting further searches there.

So if Bryce left the lake area and did not get a ride from someone he either walked into the greater SCV which is heavily suburbanized and one would think he would have been spotted (actually) in three weeks. The other alternative is the Angeles National Forest, which borders Castaic and is 1,024 square miles of real wilderness, with limited trails and very brushy; difficult to search. I have done trail hiking up there with the Scouts and if one goes even a few steps off a trail you can lose sight of your fellow hikers in a hurry. Also, someone not experience in the outdoors could mistake a game trail for an actually trail and get hopelessly lost since these game trails follow the easy ridge line to help animals navigate to water sources and can end suddenly.

Remember the two hikers lost over Easter Weekend earlier this year in the Cleveland National Forest in Orange County? They were found (alive) NOT by professional SAR but by day hikers who heard them calling for help after professional SAR (and all the ambient noise created by helicopters, vehicles and dogs) cleared out and they could be heard. They were also found within a mile of their vehicle and the trail head where they entered, in (of course) an area previously "searched."

Yes, I remember it well I took the day off from work to help search. Come to find out they weren't there to hike but to do DRUGS. City and County were seeking to go after them for $160,000 that cost for the search due to their stupidity for going there to do meth. They were high on METH and hallucinating that's why they got lost. Police found out after they were found they were there to do DRUGS not hike. It was a massive search. Because of that situation it has probably hurt future searches for others missing here in Cali. Especially because state of CA bankrupt. I can't stand our governor Jerry Brown.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/02/nicolas-cendoya-arrested_n_3201861.html

http://news.yahoo.com/drug-means-hikers-may-charged-search-171332585.html

The family of LE must have some pretty good info from friends or family during their investigation that leads them to believe he is hiding somewhere and this is intentional and it would cost the county a lot money to continue searching.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[Voice4theSilent]

Sgt. Pena: "It's a search designed to find someone who wants to be found. In other words, you're not searching places and then leaving people there in case the person comes back. You're taking into account that the person wants to be found, and we weren't able to locate him."
​

Why was Sgt. Pena talking in riddles?

It almost sounds like he was saying: we know where BL is, and because we know where he is we're not going to search there because we don't want to come face to face with him, so we're going to allow him to come forward when/if he wants to come forward.

OR ... it is just not in the English language ... he's translating from his primary language into English and the translation just doesn't work - not comprehensible.

OR ... ???

I think this is my new favorite post on this site. I am equally confused.

 

[BluePoppy]

It would be nice to know what "evidence results and investigative findings indicate Bryce left the recreation area". I find this hard to swallow. This is what LE told my brother-in-law about his daughter. But I was the one who found her body 2 days later. They were wrong. If he had left the recreation area, I would think he would have checked email or FB or contacted friends. It seems much more likely that something happened at the lake. I've been to the lake and there are so many places his body could be if something happened to him accidentally or intentionally.

Quote from Sgt. Pena "It's a search designed to find someone who wants to be found. In other words, you're not searching places and then leaving people there in case the person comes back. You're taking into account that the person wants to be found, and we weren't able to locate him."

If they weren't looking for a body, I dont think their search has been extensive enough. The lake shoreline is almost 30 miles! And there is miles upon miles of trails and brush that extend beyond that shoreline.

I don't know what to say, but to call the search off of the lake seems premature. I hope I'm wrong and that hes out there somewhere alive and hiding, but my intuition says otherwise.

I really hope we can get a little more info on why they think the lake area shouldn't be searched any further. Something to guide us on what direction to think in terms of his state of mind & trying to search.

If they suspect he wanted to disappear after talking to friends (for whatever reason) I would expect those notions to be null & void given the accident which very clearly appears to be accidental IMO. Reason being, if he left Nor Cal with the intention to disappear, he clearly wanted his cell, laptop, wallet & duffel bag to go with him. He wouldn't walk off without those to continue to disappear on foot. The ONLY reason I can come up with to leave those behind is mental trauma from the accident. I would therefore have to conclude he is NOT okay or wanting to be gone, even if he originally set out to disappear.

I feel like I was going in circles. Hope that made sense.

 

[nothingnew]

Sgt. Pena: "It's a search designed to find someone who wants to be found. In other words, you're not searching places and then leaving people there in case the person comes back. You're taking into account that the person wants to be found, and we weren't able to locate him."
​

Why was Sgt. Pena talking in riddles?

It almost sounds like he was saying: we know where BL is, and because we know where he is we're not going to search there because we don't want to come face to face with him, so we're going to allow him to come forward when/if he wants to come forward.

OR ... it is just not in the English language ... he's translating from his primary language into English and the translation just doesn't work - not comprehensible.

OR ... ???

Sounds like plain, simple English to me. If Bryce is at the lake and alive he would have been found UNLESS he was deliberately hiding from searchers and only coming out at night or when the coast is clear. IE if he is living there now as a transient. For the most part that means finding a cool spot to sleep during the day and doing survivor business at night. That's just how it sounded to me but its difficult to say that in a polite manner.

 

[nikb]

<snip>
I wonder what makes them seem so certain that he left the lake area. Footprints? Something on his phone or computer? (I know they're not done examining it but maybe they found something so far) Something that is in fact missing from the duffel bag? Did they confirm a reported sighting somehow?

Sorry to quote myself, but thought of one other idea. I wonder if someone did in fact pick him up and help him get somewhere, later found out he was missing, and called LE to tell them about it. Seems nearly impossible for the person to know 100% for sure it was Bryce or for LE to verify it, unless maybe it was a friend of his, but it's another thought I had.

 

[JSTME]

Thought I would try "walking" the road from the ramp area, via Google's little walking guy. I found myself turning left at the corner of Ridge Route and the main road as it was "closer" and there were buildings visible. With a little hike, I wound up at the Shell Station (left side) where all of the truckers pull off and refuel. (In the Google snapshot, a truck from Idaho was right there - funny.). So it is possible that he hitched a ride at the station. Plenty of truckers there, day and night. Here's that view, if interested: http://goo.gl/3dSYn3 So posting in locations and sites where truckers go might be a great idea. If he hitched a ride with a truck there, it may be in another state, and the driver unaware that this is now a missing person case.... Just postulations, thoughts, my own opinions!

FYI trucks can't refuel at the shell station they have to go to pilot or the fueling station across the street from pilot. The shell station doesn't have room for the big rigs.