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

[ClaireNC]

Do you think we really have to let the daugthers of Fang Jin fly over to the States to try to convince SBCSO to reclassify the case and let the FBI urge the search ? Or can it also be done mandatorry by distance by these young girls ?

Have you asked the PI that question? Someone needs to talk to the detective in the sheriff’s office to see if anything is being done. Not sure if having her daughters here would help.

 

[Sundog]

Office Locations | Representative Jay Obernolte

obernolte.house.gov

Here is the Congressional representative for the district that includes Joshua Tree National Park. I would contact his District Office since the district offices are usually more responsive since their constituents are the ones who vote them into or out of office, also the district staff are usually members of the local community. Maybe ask them to look into this for you, as a family member has disappeared after visiting his district.

Other congressional representatives from other districts might also be contacted for assistance. There are congressional district maps of California online and once you have the number of the congressional district you can do a search for its Congressmember.

Same with state legislators who represent their districts.

 

[mark1969]

Have you asked the PI that question? Someone needs to talk to the detective in the sheriff’s office to see if anything is being done. Not sure if having her daughters here would help.

PI at this moment could speed up ... coz we would like to see quicker results and fact verifications

 

[charminglane]

Do you think we really have to let the daugthers of Fang Jin fly over to the States to try to convince SBCSO to reclassify the case and let the FBI urge the search ? Or can it also be done mandatorry by distance by these young girls ?

Yes, I do think that Fang Jin’s daughters need to fly here. How else are the authorities going to get an emotional appeal of how wrong it is that their mother is MIA?
Any one of us can make that appeal. But who are we? We don’t know her.
It’s her own family crying and saying this is not like her, something is very wrong, mom is in trouble that works.

 

[mark1969]

<modsnip - off topic>

Hopefully your PI is experienced in missing person cases, and can give you good advice.

JMO

Please do not forget that we are NOT Americans but Belgian and Chinese family and friends who at this moment do not know anything about American culture , law , habbits....and for the moment only blindly can thrust on what our PI says and on what locals communicate to us such as here on this soo helpful community...
Soo please do not underestimate the valuable help each of you is giving to us and specially to the 2 daughters of Fang.

 

[Lusitana]

I don't see why he would spend so much time with her if he wanted to murder her. He obviously knew she was sending pictures and staying in contact with family. He was very clearly aware that his face was very visible on those pictures, he even posed.

They most likely had some sort of accident.

 

[10ofRods]

Do you think we really have to let the daugthers of Fang Jin fly over to the States to try to convince SBCSO to reclassify the case and let the FBI urge the search ? Or can it also be done mandatorry by distance by these young girls ?

No. I think emails and attached documents is plenty. I wrote you a DM. After that (if and when there is no response), I'd start an online petition - and yes, contact the local Congressional representatives (although they really vary in their ability and willingness to help).

But a petition, circulated far and wide on the internet, will get a REPORTER's attention. Esp. in San Bernardino County. We could start collecting signatures, send it far and wide, and when it gets to a couple of thousand signatures, start sending it to local news media (TV media are best in SoCal). KTLA is my favorite for covering the Inland Empire and many people watch it.

I don't think it would be an easy process, even if the daughters do show up. They might not even get to see the Sheriff. They could hold a news conference on the Courthouse steps or something - but without pre-preparation, that's not going to persuade OR get coverage.

There is no regular process for this. There is no mandate that the Sheriff change the classification to Missing instead Voluntarily Missing.

If you want to pry the records on why the Sheriff (or his employees) have classified it this way, you'll need to hire an attorney/consultant. But, even then, LE have wide latitude to not share with anyone, when an investigation is ongoing.

What you want is some public pressure on the Sheriff - which is hard, because he gets criticized all the time and ignores it.

FBI has no jurisdiction in this matter unless the Sheriff invites them in, OR if there is evidence that the truck is found abandoned on federal land. FBI is federal. Sheriff is County, within the State of California. The only jurisdiction that can file the missing persons report or initiate a search (including SARS or FBI) is the SHERIFF.

 

[JennieM]

Yes, I do think that Fang Jin’s daughters need to fly here. How else are the authorities going to get an emotional appeal of how wrong it is that their mother is MIA?
Any one of us can make that appeal. But who are we? We don’t know her.
It’s her own family crying and saying this is not like her, something is very wrong, mom is in trouble that works.

MOO I also agree that their presence there would help. If they are able to and willing, the PI should guide you.

 

[10ofRods]

Yes, I do think that Fang Jin’s daughters need to fly here. How else are the authorities going to get an emotional appeal of how wrong it is that their mother is MIA?
Any one of us can make that appeal. But who are we? We don’t know her.
It’s her own family crying and saying this is not like her, something is very wrong, mom is in trouble that works.

But unless they are willing to do a lot of other things in preparation, no one is going to show up at their press conference. The Sheriff may or may not see them personally. They are likely to be given a victim advocate and walked through the process of waiting and watching, like the families of the other 24,000 or so missing persons in California. SBCounty may have as many as 3000.

People make signs and stand on street corners, waving at traffic, trying to get attention for their case (or their missing person or the mishandling thereof).

While looking for numbers, I found this newspaper (digital) that has a focus on this missing person problem in San Bernardino County:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/176544028026044/user/100092195452820/

It's not a pretty picture and some of that site could be called "sensationalistic" but it is real people you see, out there, trying to pull attention to the various problems of that county. Whole situation has become political.

Unless the daughters have prior contact with a television journalist, merely showing up and speaking is not going to get the attention they need. Will they stand outside the Sheriff's Department? Who will hear them?

They have two main routes: 1) Try to get in to see the actual Sheriff (and in that, contacting political representatives in San Bernardino Co could be very useful)

2) Find a way of getting reporters to come to a press conference. Every missing person's family wants publicity. It's very hard to get. If it were easy, we'd all be doing it for the missing in our own counties, instead of doing the other things we do to find them.

Online petitions can be useful (but at that point, one has likely burned their bridge to get to talk to the Sheriff personally - there are lot of critics and petitions, he's an elected official, he answers to the County Board of Supervisors - not to reporters or the public, IMO.


The campaigns for Sheriff in SBC are brutal and contentious. Not sure when the next election is.

 

[slowpoke]

Please do not forget that we are NOT Americans but Belgian and Chinese family and friends who at this moment do not know anything about American culture , law , habbits....and for the moment only blindly can thrust on what our PI says and on what locals communicate to us such as here on this soo helpful community...
Soo please do not underestimate the valuable help each of you is giving to us and specially to the 2 daughters of Fang.

10ofRods’ post listed great steps for what can be done by the family.

Additionally, I found a page for the family of the missing that gives a list of suggestions based (sadly) on their own experience. For the Missing

 

[patternsfinder]

One unique challenge about elected representatives and the desert area is that San Bernardino County (where Joshua Tree and Morongo Valley are) is the largest county in the country, geographically speaking. The small desert towns are often treated as an afterthought. (Both for county stuff, but also by our state and national representatives.)

Given this, as a local, I think it would be effective to reach out to the SB County Board of Supervisors member who represents the small desert towns, as she is more connected, active, and concerned with local issues in the area. Her name is Dawn Rowe and her contact info is on that linked page. As a County elected concerned with the area, she may also be able to help with convincing the Sheriff to reclassify the case, as they're both County level, and so work together often.

 

[10ofRods]

One unique challenge about elected representatives and the desert area is that San Bernardino County (where Joshua Tree and Morongo Valley are) is the largest county in the country, geographically speaking. The small desert towns are often treated as an afterthought. (Both for county stuff, but also by our state and national representatives.)

Given this, as a local, I think it would be effective to reach out to the SB County Board of Supervisors member who represents the small desert towns, as she is more connected, active, and concerned with local issues in the area. Her name is Dawn Rowe and her contact info is on that linked page. As a County elected concerned with the area, she may also be able to help with convincing the Sheriff to reclassify the case, as they're both County level, and so work together often.

This is MOST excellent advice. @mark1969 - this is the person to reach out to. I can send you a sample letter of the type of email I'd send to this Representative if you want. It would be tomorrow before I can get it done - or maybe people here can suggest how to put the facts together.

The key thing is to say that the FAMILY of Jin Fang do NOT believe she is VOLUNTARILY missing.

Now, here's the small print: if Fang was in an accident of some sort, then that's classified (when it becomes known) as misadventure/accidental. It would still be VOLUNTARY if she was out on a tourist trip and became injured. HOWEVER, I do think this is a case where an elected official would at least make some phone calls to the Sheriff to ask what's up. Because we DO search for people who have had accidents - and it seems to me that a roadside search effort near Julian would take cooperation between San Bernardino and San Diego Counties.

Ms. Rowe may actually know her counterpart in San Diego - I would certainly ask her.

(Getting Ms Rowe's name feels like real progress!)

 

[megs1477]

I’ve been watching his LinkedIn pretty closely. Nothing has been changed/updated. The profile name was always John F, though the account is registered with his full name. (Johnfitzpatrick220).

My apologies, when I open it on the computer is looks different than on the phone.
When you open his report through TruthFinder, which generally pulls employment information from LinkedIn it shows this first:

Between that and the layout change I got confused!

 

[LucyOso]

There are steep drop-offs on the roads leading out of Julian, whether you might be heading back to the desert, or heading toward the coast. That’s been my tentative theory. And as people have pointed out, the underside of a vehicle is a very neutral color, and if the vehicle is almost buried in tall brush, there wouldn’t even be much to see.

Exactly. Julian roads can be treacherous.

 

[LucyOso]

some one said previously that if JRF had not outright purchased the truck, that is, still owed $ on it, the financing company would be looking for it... to repo (repossess) it... of course even if he owed money, if the bills are on autopay, maybe nothing due.

If he is not on autopay, I am sure there is a grace period, but yes...they would be looking. Though not sure if they'd have a tracker. They do those sometimes for high risk loans and also can shut off veichles.

American humor-but I bet the extended car warranty companies have ways to track people...

 

[LucyOso]

I may be able to make more sense of the legal tribulations of DJT. For sure there are more cases. The three highlighted all occurred after the felony assault charge in 2019.
It appears the Veterans Treatment Court
Calvet.ca.gov
‘offering alternatives that address underlying substance abuse and mental health disorders which contribute to criminal activity’ has been JRF’s get-out-of-jail card.
In chronological order, the 8/12/20 vandalism charge appears the least serious. The 4/29/21 DUI the most. Gets murky how this was resolved. At least 30 days jail time and ordered into what appears a bi-weekly probation review for three years until Jan 2025. Then on May 26 of this year, halfway through the probationary period, it was dismissed.
(There has been mention this charge was a violation of his probation terms and that the Veterans Court successfully intervened on his behalf, restoring JRF as a free man three months before his encounter with JF. At any rate, I don’t believe JRT was on probation at time of his disappearance if only because that would seem to change his status from ‘voluntary’ and begin a more rigorous search after skipping out on half-a-dozen reviews).
The 3/1/22 speeding, driving on a dui-suspended license and no insurance charges was not a good look five weeks into his three-year probation but apparently skated on that with no additional penalties.
And then, of course, pre-dating all this was the 2/5/19 felony assault:

MORONGO VALLEY MAN ARRESTED AFTER AN ASSAULT CAUSED SERIOUS INJURIES

A Morongo Valley man suffered a concussion and a ruptured ear drum, and the man whom he says beat him up was arrested Tuesday afternoon. The victim told deputies that about 1 p.m., John Fitzpatrick, 48, came over to his house in the 51000 block of Highway 62 in Morongo Valley to deliver food to the

z1077fm.com

Unclear how this one was resolved also. Perhaps being JRF’s first run-in and/or first contact with the Veterans Court he was able to avoid substantial penalties.
The dissolutions (with restraining orders?) are another matter but it may be that this three-year crime spree was in the aftermath of the most recent of these events.
Yeah, sorry, I gotta lotta questions. About JRF

BBM: I have a lot of questions as well. California is notoriously tough on DUIs. For Veterans Court "defendants must have prior or current military service and be able to show some type of mental health issue related to their service(post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, military sexual trauma, etc.). Trauma from combat is not always required." I am guessing he does qualify, since it shows he was involved in the programs. Some VA Mental Health programs actually pay people when they participate.

The article below says he is currently on probation. So wondering if his parole officers or Veterans equivalent was the one who reported him missing?

Fitzpatrick is currently on probation for misdemeanor assault and is in veterans treatment court due to probation violations. Veterans treatment court is a collaborative justice program that offers alternatives to case proceedings that address underlying problems which contribute to criminal activity or other court involvement.

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

 

[megs1477]

If he is not on autopay, I am sure there is a grace period, but yes...they would be looking. Though not sure if they'd have a tracker. They do those sometimes for high risk loans and also can shut off veichles.

American humor-but I bet the extended car warranty companies have ways to track people...

Which sparked a thought...generally with parks like he lives in, you own the trailer, but pay lot rent. I know this is how it works in Florida. I wasn't able to confirm his specific property, but if you look at Zillow for the properties in the community, none of them list property tax information, so I think it is the same.
If you miss a month or two, they treat it like an apartment and evict you. Unless he is pre-paid or on auto-draft, he is probably close to being removed.

 

[LucyOso]

Which sparked a thought...generally with parks like he lives in, you own the trailer, but pay lot rent. I know this is how it works in Florida. I wasn't able to confirm his specific property, but if you look at Zillow for the properties in the community, none of them list property tax information, so I think it is the same.
If you miss a month or two, they treat it like an apartment and evict you. Unless he is pre-paid or on auto-draft, he is probably close to being removed.

The process might be halted because he is missing. I believe with eviction you would have to be served. Being served can even be like posting on a door. Since it is known he is missing, I would imagine there would be a more lengthy court process.

I am not sure if he owns the land or if it is a park. Does anyone know?

 

[Dhighsmith]

No. I think emails and attached documents is plenty. I wrote you a DM. After that (if and when there is no response), I'd start an online petition - and yes, contact the local Congressional representatives (although they really vary in their ability and willingness to help).

But a petition, circulated far and wide on the internet, will get a REPORTER's attention. Esp. in San Bernardino County. We could start collecting signatures, send it far and wide, and when it gets to a couple of thousand signatures, start sending it to local news media (TV media are best in SoCal). KTLA is my favorite for covering the Inland Empire and many people watch it.

I don't think it would be an easy process, even if the daughters do show up. They might not even get to see the Sheriff. They could hold a news conference on the Courthouse steps or something - but without pre-preparation, that's not going to persuade OR get coverage.

There is no regular process for this. There is no mandate that the Sheriff change the classification to Missing instead Voluntarily Missing.

If you want to pry the records on why the Sheriff (or his employees) have classified it this way, you'll need to hire an attorney/consultant. But, even then, LE have wide latitude to not share with anyone, when an investigation is ongoing.

What you want is some public pressure on the Sheriff - which is hard, because he gets criticized all the time and ignores it.

FBI has no jurisdiction in this matter unless the Sheriff invites them in, OR if there is evidence that the truck is found abandoned on federal land. FBI is federal. Sheriff is County, within the State of California. The only jurisdiction that can file the missing persons report or initiate a search (including SARS or FBI) is the SHERIFF.

I mentioned this early in her disappearance but another valuable resource is the International Red Cross who per their charter assists in missing persons cases, which network allows them access to all the necessary connections plus does not require family to travel to location.
Many years ago, I was on the Board for the Metropolitan Atlanta chapter and witnessed the dedicated staff supporting international travelers.

 

[Carovb5]

@mark1969 does she have a Belgian or dual passport? If so, you could try the info on this website to get help in Belgium. Maybe that would help in getting things done by US police.

Don’t know if you speak Dutch, but:
“Neem contact op met de ambassade of het consulaat van België in het land waar je slachtoffer werd. Wanneer je alle andere hulpmogelijkheden hebt uitgeput (politie, touroperator, verzekering, ziekenfonds, …) kan je beroep doen op consulaire bijstand.”

Buitenland | Slachtofferzorg

www.slachtofferzorg.be