CA CA - Possible Child Serial Killer, San Diego/Riverside/San Bernardino Counties, 1980s-1990s

[Mysteries1974]

A few years ago, I began researching the unsolved kidnapping and murder of Charitie Angelique Careins. She was seven years old when she was abducted during the evening of August 5th 1988 from her Pacific Beach neighborhood in San Diego, California. She had gone to a friend’s house that day in the Campland on the Bay recreational vehicle park. She left her friend’s home at 4:00 pm to head back to her own house on Betty Street. It was a ten block walk and Charitie never made it back home.

A full year would pass before Charitie’s mother got answers regarding her daughter’s whereabouts and fate. Charitie had been abducted off the street by an unidentified individual and was killed. Whoever killed Charitie proceeded to drive her body over 100 miles away from her San Diego neighborhood before deciding to dump her in the San Timoteo Canyon in Riverside County, California.

Hikers found Charitie’s skull and partial remains in the canyon on June 25th 1989. She wasn’t formally identified until November 1989. Seven of her rib bones were recovered and all showed signs of severe trauma which occurred when she died. Police believe Charitie suffered a violent death shortly after her abduction in August 1988. To this day, whoever killed Charitie Careins has not been identified. Her mother passed away in 2021.

While researching Charitie’s murder, I noticed a disturbing trend of young girls who disappeared from various southern Californian communities during the 1980s and 1990s. Some remain missing today while the others were later found dead and dumped in rural desert areas or canyons.

**I am going to list the other cases I believe could be linked to one another. Please note that none of this information has been confirmed or denied by any official LE or investigating agency. All of it is speculation and should be handled as such! Thank you.

The cases include:

Charlleen Saunders - 13 years old - 1986

Charlleen Saunders disappeared from Oceanside, California on August 1st 1986. Police suspected she was a runaway for many years. On August 12th 2002, a property owner was clearing his hillside property on Sandia Creek Drive in Temecula, California when he discovered the skeletal remains of a teenage girl wrapped in a blanket. The remains were found down a steep hillside near the Riverside-San Diego County border. The remains were determined to be those of a white female between the ages of 12-15. The victim died at some point between 1972-1997. The girl’s cause of death was not released. In 2007, the remains were positively identified as belonging to Charlleen Saunders. Her death remains unsolved.

Sylvia Elaine Mangos - 8 years old - 1988

Sylvia Mangos was reported missing from Twentynine Palms, California on March 27th 1988. She and her parents were visiting the Yucca Valley swap meet at Sky Drive-in on Theater Street. She was last seen at approximately 8:00 am. For days, police officers searched door-to-door while helicopters and tracking dogs searched the surrounding Morongo Valley Desert. Police suspect she was abducted by a stranger while at the swap meet. On April 5th 1988, Sylvia’s body was discovered in Landers, California in a high desert area in Johnson Valley by a man walking his dog. Sylvia was wearing the same clothes she had been last seen in. The girl had been killed by a head injury.

Dawn Renee Higdon - 14 years old - 1988

Dawn Higdon was last seen in at her family’s home in Ridgecrest, California on August 2, 1988. Police classified her disappearance as a runaway situation. On July 13th 1990, unidentified skeletal remains were recovered in San Bernardino County, California. On March 4th 2009, DNA tests confirmed the remains belonged to Higdon. It’s unclear how she died but police suspect she was likely murdered.

Charitie Angelique Careins - 7 years old - 1988

Charitie went to a friend’s house in their Pacific Beach neighborhood in San Diego, California on August 5th 1988. The friend lived at the Campland on the Bay recreational vehicle park, nearly a mile from Charitie’s Betty Street home. At 4:00 pm, she left her friend’s house and started walking back towards her home on Betty Street, 10 blocks away. Careins failed to return home, however. Charitie’s mother was recovering from jaw cancer at the time and said her daughter was very independent for her age. She believed Charitie was staying the night at a friend’s house but calls to all of her known acquaintances led nowhere. Her mother reported her daughter’s disappearance the following evening. On June 25th 1989, hikers in the San Timeteo Canyon in Riverside County, California discovered scattered bones that appeared to be human. They contacted authorities about the find and a search turned up more bones as well as jewelry. The remains had been in the area for an extended period of time. The coroner determined the remains belonged to a young child who was about seven years old. Further searches of the canyon in August 1989 turned up more bones including a jaw bone with nine teeth still intact. Various young girls missing from the state were compared to the bones but no match was found. In November 1989, the bones were identified as belonging to Charitie after the coroner requested her dental records from Corpus Christi, Texas. The jewelry found at the scene was consistent with the type that the child wore when she vanished in 1988. Seven of Charitie’s rib bones were found and all showed signs of trauma, having been broken. Charitie was found in an area that was over 120 miles away from where she was presumably abducted.

Leticia “Tita” Hernandez - 7 years old - 1989

Leticia was last seen by her mother at 5:00 pm on December 16th 1989. She was playing in the front yard of her family’s apartment complex. Her mother went to the laundry room and returned after ten minutes, when she got back Leticia was nowhere to be found. On March 9th 1991, a caretaker working on a property off Pala Temecula Road discovered a human skull. The area was described as a brush-filled canyon along Highway S16 near the Pala Indian Reservation. Clothing was also found at the scene. The skull was identified as Leticia Hernandez via dental records.

**The following cases are missing children from the same areas/time frame that I also believe could be related. Again, please note that these cases have not been officially linked and they are listed because I found them while researching:

Elaina Eugenia Rivera - 13 years old - 1987

Elaina was last seen in Ramona, California on June 26th 1987. She was reportedly last seen in the 14000 block of Mussey Street at 6:30 pm. She has never been seen or heard from since. Police originally listed Rivera as an “endangered runaway” and not much was done to investigate. Her friend, Shaliegh Phillips, vanished from El Cajon several months after Rivera. Elaina lived on the same street as Ezra John Adams, a convicted child molester. He was arrested for multiple charges of child molestation in November 1988 and he continued to receive additional molestation charges as more victims came forward following his arrest. He was convicted of 86 counts of child molestation and was sentenced to 270 years in prison. Those who knew Rivera have long felt that Adams was in some way involved in her disappearance as well as others, including Phillips.

Shaliegh Sharrie Phillips - 12 years old - 1988

Shaliegh Phillips disappeared from El Cajon, California on February 12th 1988. She was last seen leaving her family’s home and told her parents she planned on meeting friends nearby. Phillips never returned home and has never been seen or heard from since. For many years, police believe she left on her own accord. Foul play is now suspected in the case. Shaliegh’s friend, Elaina Rivera went missing from Ramona several months before she disappeared. Locals and individuals who knew both girls suspect that Ezra John Adams, a convicted child molester, was involved in the cases. He was arrested for multiple charges of child molestation in November 1988 and he continued to receive additional molestation charges as more victims came forward following his arrest. He was convicted of 86 counts of child molestation and was sentenced to 270 years in prison.

***Please note that Ezra Adams has not faced any charges relating to the disappearances of Elaina Rivera and Shaliegh Phillips. I have also failed to find any reports or news articles that directly accuse Adams of being involved. The information about Adams, his connection to the girls, and his molestation conviction can be found in the WS threads for both Rivera and Phillips.

Lillian Irene Estrada - 16 years old - 1990

Lillian Estrada disappeared from Spring Valley, California on September 29th 1990. She was reportedly last seen at her home and has not been seen or heard from since.

Amanda Marie Rivera - 14 years old - 1990

Amanda Rivera disappeared from Spring Valley, California on October 5th 1990. She was last seen being dropped off near a friend’s home on Nobel Street. She has never been seen or heard from since.

Rasheeyda Robinson Wilson - 9 years old - 1991

Rasheeyda Wilson disappeared from San Diego, California on July 15th 1991. She was last seen playing with a friend on a fire escape of a building across the street from the hotel they both stayed at. The building superintendent asked both the girls to move off the fire escape because it was dangerous. They both left the area and Rasheeyda returned home. She stayed there for some time before leaving again at 2:30 pm. Wilson told her mother she was going to walk to downtown San Diego but she never returned home. When Rasheeyda didn’t come home for dinner at 8:00 pm, her mother called the police and reported her missing. Police canvassed the area and set up a command center at the Yale Hotel, where Rasheeyda was staying in a single room with her mother and younger sister. A helicopter search and extensive ground searches by police failed to locate any trace of Wilson. Her case remains unsolved and Rasheeyda was never found.

Please let me know what you think of these possible connections. Please remember the possibility of these cases being linked is speculation and has not been confirmed/denied by any official investigating agency. Thank you again and have a wonderful holiday everyone!

 

[Richard]

Bumping this thread up.

 

[Leprikawn]

A few of these cases I have seen have connections to an Ezra Adams. He apparently knew a few of these girls. I had seen his name mentioned on the Shaliegh Phillips thread. I wonder if he is responsible for all of them?

 

[Mysteries1974]

A few of these cases I have seen have connections to an Ezra Adams. He apparently knew a few of these girls. I had seen his name mentioned on the Shaliegh Phillips thread. I wonder if he is responsible for all of them?

I could definitely see Ezra being behind Elaina and Shaliegh‘s disappearances, most people who knew the girls think that happened. Adams knew both of them and the two hung out with him prior to both of their disappearances.

I definitely think he could be responsible for Charlleen Saunders, Dawn Higdon, and Charitie Careins since they all vanished before his arrest in late 1988. Especially Charlleen and Dawn since both were closer in age to Ezra’s suspected victims.

I don’t think he could’ve been behind any other cases after his arrest unless he was out of custody when the later cases happened.

 

[Mysteries1974]

Here are some other potential victims:

Diana Ladene Munyon - 16 years old - 1982

Diana left her family’s home in Fulton, Mississippi at some point in 1981. She last contacted her family on May 1st 1982 and she was in Fontana, California at the time. No one has seen or heard from Munyon since this date.

Brandi Lee Krajewski - 2 years old - 1982

Brandi was last seen in Nipton, California on October 9th 1982. She was abducted by her mother’s live in boyfriend, Daniel James Waters, while her mother was at work. She came home to find both Daniel as well as her daughter gone along with two blankets and a teddy bear. Waters was arrested in a remote desert area near Blue Diamond, Nevada on January 3rd 1983. Brandi was not with him at the time and Waters refused to disclose her whereabouts. Investigators believe Brandi was abducted and murdered.

Laura Ann Bradbury - 3 years old - 1984

Laura was last seen at Joshua Tree National Park in Twentynine Palms, California on October 18th 1984. Her family was camping in the Indian Cove Campground and were unpacking when she mysteriously disappeared. She followed her eight year old brother Travis to the portable toilets and waited outside while he went to use the toilet. When he came out, Laura was gone. Extensive searches of the park took place with no trace of Laura ever being found. It was initially believed that she had wandered off and gotten lost. Footprints were found that lead away from the campground and continued on for two miles until stopping. These prints were thought to be Laura’s but they were later found not to be hers. A second set of foot prints were found leading away from the portable toilets to a parking spot where a blue van once stood. The van was driven by a still unidentified white male suspect. Police now believe Laura was abducted by a stranger. Two skulls have allegedly been discovered in the park and passed off as being hers but tests never positively linked the remains to Laura. Her fate remains a mystery.

Ramona Lisa Beal - 15 years old - 1985

Ramona was last seen in San Bernardino, California on May 19th 1985. She disappeared under suspicious circumstances and foul play is suspected. At the time of her disappearance, Ramona was due to testify in a criminal trial against her friend's stepfather for child molestation. He was allegedly out of custody on the day Ramona disappeared but he’s never faced charges in the case. Ramona’s disappearance remains unsolved.

Something I noticed is that Daniel Waters mugshot bears a slight resemblance to the sketches created in Laura Bradbury’s case. I’m not sure how long Waters was imprisoned for Brandi’s abduction so it’s possible he could’ve been released when Laura vanished in October 1984.

Left: Daniel Waters (1983) Right: Sketch of suspect in Laura Bradbury’s 1984 abduction

I am a big doubtful about this though. Daniel Waters would’ve been about 38 years old in 1984 and the suspect in Laura’s case is believed to be older, about 50 years old. They don’t look exactly the same but the resemblance with the glasses, hair and facial hair still catch my eye.

 

[Mysteries1974]

Possible Suspects:

1.) Daniel James Waters - Arrested in early 1983 for kidnapping Brandi Krajewski who has been missing since 1982. Krajewski is believed to have been murdered

2.) Ezra Adams - Arrested in late 1988 convicted of over forty counts of child molestation and sentenced to 219 years in prison. A suspect in the disappearances of Elaina Rivera and Shaliegh Phillips

3.) Eugene Adams - DNA tests in 2009 linked Eugene Adams to the 1988 murder of Sylvia Mangos. He died while in prison in Washington State in 2003

4.) Unnamed Sex Offender - The primary suspect in the 1989 abduction and murder of Leticia Hernandez. He lived in her neighborhood and had possible links to the area where her remains were later found. He was never arrested or charged in Leticia’s death.

5.) Unidentified White Male in his 50s - The primary suspect in the 1984 abduction of Laura Bradbury. This man has never been identified but a sketch of him has been released along with his physical description and a detailed description of his vehicle.

6.) Alan Michael “Buzzard” Stevens - Convicted of murdering a woman he met at a bar in 1991. He’s been considered a possible suspect in Laura Bradbury’s 1984 disappearance since he was known to live in his van in the Joshua Tree area. However, his van was a different color from the one being sought in her abduction.

7.) Wayne Amundson - Found to be responsible for the murder of a woman whom he dumped in the Pala Indian Reservation where he lived between 1981-1988. Four other murder victims were found dumped in that area as well. In 1991, Leticia Hernandez’s skull was found close to this area. She had been missing since late 1989.

8.) Elmer Nance - Convicted of child molestation in 1974 and arrested for killing a woman in 1991. He was living on the streets of San Diego in 1987. He was a suspect in several murders that occurred in the area until being ruled out.