CA - Liz Hamel, 18, UC Santa Barbara Student falls to her death from dorm breezeway 20 minutes after leaving restaurant with unknown male, 14 Feb 2025

[katydid23]

I thought a bit about leaving her ID and phone behind and I thought that maybe she has done this on purpose.
Her parents had app on the phone to check where she was .

Maybe for some reason she didn’t want to be seen as out late and left it so her friends took it to the dorm as “ she is there now “. Not to worry parents perhaps .

I agree with the idea that she might have done that---but it is worded more like she accidentally left it---I'd think if she intentionally gave it ti a friend to hold for her, it'd be worded differently:

“She, apparently accidentally, left her phone and identification in the restaurant; both were later picked up by friends.”
—-

ID could have been together with phone, many people carry cards and IDs in phone cases to not carry purse on them . Just a thought.

Yes, my daughter and her friends just take an ID and a debit card with them, in their phone case 'pocket' when they go out. So if they lose their phone the ID will be with it too, which is not optimal.

 

[slowpoke]

I agree with the idea that she might have done that---but it is worded more like she accidentally left it---I'd think if she intentionally gave it ti a friend to hold for her, it'd be worded differently:

“She, apparently accidentally, left her phone and identification in the restaurant; both were later picked up by friends.”
—-


Yes, my daughter and her friends just take an ID and a debit card with them, in their phone case 'pocket' when they go out. So if they lose their phone the ID will be with it too, which is not optimal.

This article says both, that:

1) that the mother would track her daughter’s location via iPhone, and did, that night and the next morning

and

2) the article reiterates that Liz “apparently forgot her iPhone and ID at the restaurant”, and that her “roommates found her phone and brought it back to the dorm.”
—-

In fact, the mother checked for the phone’s location that night, and saw it was at Lao Wang around midnight. The next morning she checked, at it was back at her dorm.

Other new to us info at the link.

Death at the Dorm: UCSB Student Liz Hamel's Fall Mired in Mystery | Local News | Noozhawk

It's a mystery what happened that night, between 10:06 p.m. and 10:26 p.m. Liz Hamel was out celebrating Valentine's Day with her roommates and friends at

www.noozhawk.com

 

[Fika]

This article says both, that:

1) that the mother would track her daughter’s location via iPhone, and did, that night and the next morning

and

2) the article reiterates that Liz “apparently forgot her iPhone and ID at the restaurant”, and that her “roommates found her phone and brought it back to the dorm.”
—-

In fact, the mother checked for the phone’s location that night, and saw it was at Lao Wang around midnight. The next morning she checked, at it was back at her dorm.

Other new to us info at the link.

Death at the Dorm: UCSB Student Liz Hamel's Fall Mired in Mystery | Local News | Noozhawk

It's a mystery what happened that night, between 10:06 p.m. and 10:26 p.m. Liz Hamel was out celebrating Valentine's Day with her roommates and friends at

www.noozhawk.com

The article states that she met with friends at La Vista restaurant but her mom traced her to Lao Wang at midnight.

I looked up Lao Wang website where it states the opening hours are 11 am -10 pm everyday. Her phone couldn’t be there at midnight after closing hours and make it to dorm by the morning. Its a bit confusing.

 

[slowpoke]

The article states that she met with friends at La Vista restaurant but her mom traced her to Lao Wang at midnight.

I looked up Lao Wang website where it states the opening hours are 11 am -10 pm everyday. Her phone couldn’t be there at midnight after closing hours and make it to dorm by the morning. Its a bit confusing.

Isla Vista refers to a community within Santa Barbara County, not the restaurant name.

 

[Fika]

Isla Vista refers to a community within Santa Barbara County, not the restaurant name.

Noted . Now it makes more sense.

But still how could phone be at the restaurant that closed at 10 pm there at midnight after closing hours and make it to the dorm?

 

[slowpoke]

Noted . Now it makes more sense.

But still how could phone be at the restaurant that closed at 10 pm there at midnight after closing hours and make it to the dorm?

No idea.
Could the friends have been outside in front of the building for that long, talking and hanging out?

 

[appleatcha]

The article states that she met with friends at La Vista restaurant but her mom traced her to Lao Wang at midnight.

I looked up Lao Wang website where it states the opening hours are 11 am -10 pm everyday. Her phone couldn’t be there at midnight after closing hours and make it to dorm by the morning. Its a bit confusing.

I think the most likely explanation is that her mom's memory of what time she saw that her phone was still at Lao Wang was inaccurate, but given that it was Valentine's Day, I also wonder if Lao Wang was open late that night.

 

[atomicsciencegal]

I do wonder about that as well. How could she walk away without her phone and ID? She might have been drinking I suppose. But it still seems unusual. IMO


He looks like a student to me too. Carhartt clothing is a popular thing among young guys in So Cal.

I don't think she'd have left with him if he wasn't a student. If he was a random worker I don't think she would have felt comfortable going with him.

I want to see her tox report. I wonder if something was slipped into her drink.

I also want to know if there’s evidence of sexual activity (including spermicide/lubricant re: assault involving a condom).

 

[slowpoke]

I recall reading that there’s only cameras in the elevators of the dorm building, not outside. So, I wonder if they were seen in one of the elevators? Because, if not, the other thought I had—and I don’t know if it’s even possible—would Liz have been trying to climb in from outside, and that’s how she fell??

Maybe a dumb idea on my part, but then again, sometimes people do crazy, dangerous things for ‘fun’. jmo

 

[Sundog]

Here is a photo of the residence hall/dorm where Liz was found - not the exact spot, as I think I read that this res hall has a cluster of buildings, but this is what they look like. If they didn't take an elevator to the third floor, then they walked up the stairs to the third floor.

From -
https://www.sfgate.com/centralcoast...ent-death-mystery-man-identified-20306904.php

Edited to add: This view of San Rafael dorms is from the inner courtyard. In the next post, there is a photo from the view of the outside of San Rafael, not from the inner courtyard.

 

[Sundog]

Another picture of the San Rafael residence hall/dormitory, from a different view.

From

Death at the Dorm: UCSB Student Liz Hamel's Fall Mired in Mystery | Local News | Noozhawk

It's a mystery what happened that night, between 10:06 p.m. and 10:26 p.m. Liz Hamel was out celebrating Valentine's Day with her roommates and friends at

www.noozhawk.com

 

[slowpoke]

Here is a photo of the residence hall/dorm where Liz was found - not the exact spot, as I think I read that this res hall has a cluster of buildings, but this is what they look like. If they didn't take an elevator to the third floor, then they walked up the stairs to the third floor.

^snipped & bolded by me

But,

Kiki Reyes, spokesperson for UCSB, told Noozhawk:

“All residence halls require a keycard to access the inside of any building – residential suites/rooms and amenity spaces,” Reyes said in a statement. “San Rafael consists of multiple structures, some of which have residential suites that are externally facing and were designed to be accessed by key, directly from the outside. All of our residence halls are equipped with cameras in the elevators.”
(Noozhawk link)

So, did he had a keycard to the San Rafael building to get inside? We don’t know if he resided there, right? Or, did they ‘sneak inside’ as someone with a card was entering or exiting a door?

 

[Sundog]

Here is a good map of the area showing the noodle bar/restaurant where the group was having dinner and where the San Rafael res hall is located, about a 6-10 minute walk. It also shows the San Miguel residence hall/dorm further away where Liz lived.

My copy of map from -

https://www.sfgate.com/centralcoast/article/liz-hamel-student-death-mystery-man-identified-20306904.php

Edited to add: The Middle red dot is San Rafael residence hall where Liz was found. Far left red dot is the Noodle Bar restaurant. Far right red dot is San Miguel Res Hall where Liz lived.

 

[Sundog]

“San Rafael consists of multiple structures, some of which have residential suites that are externally facing and were designed to be accessed by key, directly from the outside. All of our residence halls are equipped with cameras in the elevators.”
(Noozhawk link)

<Snipped for focus>

So I wonder if the suites that are externally-facing and are accessed directly from the outside may be accessible by stairs and not the elevator, or you don't need the elevator to get into your suite that is externally facing.

 

[katydid23]

I want to see her tox report. I wonder if something was slipped into her drink.

I also want to know if there’s evidence of sexual activity (including spermicide/lubricant re: assault involving a condom).

It's strange because of the super short timeline.

It is apparently a 6 to 10 min walk to those dorms. So only 10 to 14 minutes later she fell to her death.

Was she trying to get away from someone?

 

[Sundog]

From UCSB webpage:

• The San Rafael tower has two elevators serving all seven floors. The three-story San Rafael Ocean and Mountain Clusters are connected by stairs. There is no elevator access to the second or third floors in the Clusters.

Bolded and font enlarged by me.

San Rafael | Campus Housing

www.housing.ucsb.edu

Edited to add image --

San Rafael residence hall with seven-story tower and two cluster buildings of 3 stories each.

 

[Sundog]

dbm

I think the most likely explanation is that her mom's memory of what time she saw that her phone was still at Lao Wang was inaccurate, but given that it was Valentine's Day, I also wonder if Lao Wang was open late that night.

Or the restaurant stopped serving meals, drinks, etc but patrons were allowed to stay and finish their meals, drinks, etc. and not rushed out, particularly as you mentioned, since it was Valentine's Day, and a Friday night.

 

[Knox]

View attachment 584169

Another picture of the San Rafael residence hall/dormitory, from a different view.

From

Death at the Dorm: UCSB Student Liz Hamel's Fall Mired in Mystery | Local News | Noozhawk

It's a mystery what happened that night, between 10:06 p.m. and 10:26 p.m. Liz Hamel was out celebrating Valentine's Day with her roommates and friends at

www.noozhawk.com

Which did she fall from? Inner or out?

 

[Sundog]

Which did she fall from? Inner or out?

I don't think it has been reported if she fell from the third floor on the tower building that has seven stories, or from the cluster buildings that have only three stories. Nor has it been mentioned if it was from an inner-facing or outer-facing location. All I have seen in MSM is that she fell from the third floor. No mention of which building, only the San Rafael residence hall (that has three structures).

 

[slowpoke]

“She fell from a breezeway at the San Rafael Mountain Cluster, according to her father, Alain Hamel.” (LINK)