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

[slowpoke]

"She met a man online, who told her he could be her tour guide."

Fang Jin - Missing Persons Center

Fang Jin, 47, and her companion, John Fitzpatrick, 52, had been missing since late July from Morongo Valley in San Bernardino County where Fitz

missingpersonscenter.org

I don’t know if this was there before, or I just noticed it, but if we look on @dulcinea ‘s link it says “If there are any social networking accounts associated with this listing, they will be indicated below”, and there IS a link. It’s to a G F M page. We can’t link that here, but there is some pertinent info there.
(I hope my post is within WS’s TOS).

 

[Dhighsmith]

I don’t know if this was there before, or I just noticed it, but if we look on @dulcinea ‘s link it says “If there are any social networking accounts associated with this listing, they will be indicated below”, and there IS a link. It’s to a G F M page. We can’t link that here, but there is some pertinent info there.
(I hope my post is within WS’s TOS).

That’s the same website I copied info for my post, it seems to have the most details.

There appears to be 2 different camping locations.

 

[megs1477]

I don’t know if this was there before, or I just noticed it, but if we look on @dulcinea ‘s link it says “If there are any social networking accounts associated with this listing, they will be indicated below”, and there IS a link. It’s to a G F M page. We can’t link that here, but there is some pertinent info there.
(I hope my post is within WS’s TOS).

LE has a license plate and a very clear photograph of the man, so you would have to assume they know his identity at this point. It is interesting that they have not named him or put his information out there. It seems like most of the information is coming from the daughter.

 

[AliceInPain]

MOO speculation, was it because she was in the US? They (daughter and friends) may have been unsure how to report this. I’m wondering if they reported it to the police in China, who then contacted the police in California?

I don't know how Fang's family did it but when my brother went missing abroad I called police in my country to ask what to do. They told me to call our embassy in the country he was in and they would put me in contact with the local police. Which they didn't, but asked me to call our country's church in that country and they would help. They put me in contact with a priest who'd go look for him before a report was made. In my experience you're sent from one place to another, phone calls that take hrs because not everyone answers but will call you back and then this other person needs to check papers and they may not call back until tomorrow and bla bla.
So I think there's a huge difference how long it will take to get things moving if you're not in the same place as the missing person. Add possible language barriers as may have been the case here.
I'm surprised it didn't take longer. jmo.

 

[JennieM]

So why do we think the police is not identifying him?

 

[Maat99]

So why do we think the police is not identifying him?

Hoping he believes he is safe from identification and surfaces somewhere?

 

[slowpoke]

I don't know how Fang's family did it but when my brother went missing abroad I called police in my country to ask what to do. They told me to call our embassy in the country he was in and they would put me in contact with the local police. Which they didn't, but asked me to call our country's church in that country and they would help. They put me in contact with a priest who'd go look for him before a report was made. In my experience you're sent from one place to another, phone calls that take hrs because not everyone answers but will call you back and then this other person needs to check papers and they may not call back until tomorrow and bla bla.
So I think there's a huge difference how long it will take to get things moving if you're not in the same place as the missing person. Add possible language barriers as may have been the case here.
I'm surprised it didn't take longer. jmo.

I may be mistaken, but I was somehow under the impression there Is a daughter of hers who lives in China, but also a friend here in the US who she was keeping contact with.

Yes, for the family far away overseas, how difficult…a nightmare situation! I hope I’m correct and the friend IS here locally as a liaison or bridge for Fang’s family. Still, what a heavy responsibility I’m sure the friend never hoped to have to bear.

(eta: I’m sorry your brother was missing, and abroad, to add to the anguish. )

 

[Carmello]

Don’t quote me, but I think in California all pickup trucks are considered commercial vehicles because they are designed to transport property.

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.

 

[Carmello]

Not true. My brother owns and drives a standard Ford pickup without a canopy and it has the regular California license plate format, not a commercial vehicle one.

I've bought several pick ups in my life for pleasure not business and they were issued commercial plates by the California DMV without me asking.

 

[megs1477]

Trucks with a permanently attached camper shell used for camping purposes only have a standard plate.

Commercial to Standard License Plates - California DMV

Need something else?

www.dmv.ca.gov

Commercial are:

• Pickups: A commercially used motor truck with a manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of less than 11,500 lbs., an unladen weight of less than 8,001 lbs., and equipped with an open box-type bed less than nine ft. in length.

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

 

[sunnynz]

I don't know how Fang's family did it but when my brother went missing abroad I called police in my country to ask what to do. They told me to call our embassy in the country he was in and they would put me in contact with the local police. Which they didn't, but asked me to call our country's church in that country and they would help. They put me in contact with a priest who'd go look for him before a report was made. In my experience you're sent from one place to another, phone calls that take hrs because not everyone answers but will call you back and then this other person needs to check papers and they may not call back until tomorrow and bla bla.
So I think there's a huge difference how long it will take to get things moving if you're not in the same place as the missing person. Add possible language barriers as may have been the case here.
I'm surprised it didn't take longer. jmo.

I’m sorry for what you went through.

I would add to this that perhaps her loved ones didn’t automatically assume the worst when they didn’t hear from her. There may have been down time of a day or two where they pondered whether maybe her phone just died or there was another explanation for her not getting in touch before they decided something sinister May have happened.

 

[crhedBngr]

So why do we think the police is not identifying him?

Hoping he believes he is safe from identification and surfaces somewhere?

Is LE thinking FJ and her companion are "off the grid" and don't want to be contacted at this time?

JMVHO.

 

[slowpoke]

One more thing of interest from that page
Missing Persons Center - Fang Jin

it says:

“BE ADVISED​

If you see Fang Jin anywhere, please do not make contact. Call your local emergency number like (911) or the phone number indicated for law enforcement on this record and they will instruct you on what to do.”

Do you think they say this because they think she would be with the ‘mystery man tour guide’ and believe him to be dangerous? That’s where my mind goes, anyway. MOO

 

[Dhighsmith]

I don't know how Fang's family did it but when my brother went missing abroad I called police in my country to ask what to do. They told me to call our embassy in the country he was in and they would put me in contact with the local police. Which they didn't, but asked me to call our country's church in that country and they would help. They put me in contact with a priest who'd go look for him before a report was made. In my experience you're sent from one place to another, phone calls that take hrs because not everyone answers but will call you back and then this other person needs to check papers and they may not call back until tomorrow and bla bla.
So I think there's a huge difference how long it will take to get things moving if you're not in the same place as the missing person. Add possible language barriers as may have been the case here.
I'm surprised it didn't take longer. jmo.

The Red Cross is a great resource for when a family member is missing in another country. I was on the Board for local service center during 9/11 and witnessed amazing reunification successes.

 

[Dhighsmith]

One more thing of interest from that page
Missing Persons Center - Fang Jin

it says:

“BE ADVISED​

If you see Fang Jin anywhere, please do not make contact. Call your local emergency number like (911) or the phone number indicated for law enforcement on this record and they will instruct you on what to do.”

Do you think they say this because they think she would be with the ‘mystery man tour guide’ and believe him to be dangerous? That’s where my mind goes, anyway. MOO

I wonder if that standard language for all missing persons cases under that site, I’ll take a look.

 

[crhedBngr]

One more thing of interest from that page
Missing Persons Center - Fang Jin

it says:

“BE ADVISED​

If you see Fang Jin anywhere, please do not make contact. Call your local emergency number like (911) or the phone number indicated for law enforcement on this record and they will instruct you on what to do.”

Do you think they say this because they think she would be with the ‘mystery man tour guide’ and believe him to be dangerous? That’s where my mind goes, anyway. MOO

RBBM

My mind goes there as well. Absolutely.

JMVHO.

 

[Dhighsmith]

One more thing of interest from that page
Missing Persons Center - Fang Jin

it says:

“BE ADVISED​

If you see Fang Jin anywhere, please do not make contact. Call your local emergency number like (911) or the phone number indicated for law enforcement on this record and they will instruct you on what to do.”

Do you think they say this because they think she would be with the ‘mystery man tour guide’ and believe him to be dangerous? That’s where my mind goes, anyway. MOO

That language seems to be standard for all cases.

I also noticed some persons are labeled with statuses of Suspicious Circumstances or Endangered but Fang’s is labeled as New Active Urgent Lost

 

[crhedBngr]

That language seems to be standard for all cases.

I also noticed some persons are labeled with statuses of Suspicious Circumstances or Endangered but Fang’s is labeled as New Active Urgent Lost

Thank you.

This information is very helpful.

JMVHO.

 

[Dhighsmith]

Thank you.

This information is very helpful.

JMVHO.

The information and data base appears to be managed by the organization who coordinates with family/friends so there should be some consistency and relevance to the information but never know how accurate. This is an odd case in terms of no info flowing from LE on an active missing person, JMO.

 

[azure]

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).