CA - Chelsea King (17) Rancho Bernardo (north San Diego County) #1

[TravelingBug]

This shows the view looking toward the freeway exit from the north that is closest to the park http://www.flickr.com/photos/pipilo/4242511387/in/photostream/

And this shows the road that runs next to the nursing home, curves around toward the main park entrance, but then continues past the nursing home and past the park where many people park to go run at the park just off of the main road http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2741/4242512829_79f2132181.jpg

The photo here http://rbvistadellago.com/media/277814-R3-E098x360.jpg is from the south looking north. That's 15 in the middle, the buildings on the left are the nursing home "Casa" (Casa de Las Campanasa) and the park. The street that runs along the freeway, past the nursing home and the ballfields is where most people (and many with the trucks at lunch time) stop to eat or park to run. The ballfield visible closest to the nursing home is the intersection where there's a small signal to turn into the park parking lot, but like I said, many, many, many people use the street to park or the lots along the main street there, instead of truly in the park area.

This is again looking across the lake, showing what a non-intersection it really is exiting there at West Bernardo/Pomerado from the north if you're coming from Escondido - and it's pretty similar if you're exit approaching south from San Diego. http://mtbbill.com/cpg/albums/LakeHodges/normal_LakeHodges-27MAR09-02.jpg

I'm still trying to find a few other pictures to help illustrate the area better.

 

[KaylynnCouture]

I didn't realize there was a lake in the area. Has there been any talk of plans to search the lake once the weather clears up?

 

[TravelingBug]

This is a great photo of the park that shows the parking areas - Along the road marked West Bernardo (with the nursing home barely visible in the top right corner) you can see the parking areas used widely by runners and people at lunch near the fields marked 4, 5, and 7.

Chelsea's car was back by the Rec Center building (and that's where the footage of most of the stuff with the Sheriff is taken) - which is used more for those going at more crowded times, for the basketball/shuffleboard courts, senior center, or the trails further out.

The area I was seeing the helicopter searching persistently, and where the steady search light on the ground had been yesterday is further south of what's shown here, down West Bernardo a bit more (just a ways past where it has the 15 shown on the freeway)

It also lets you see how many ways the trails splinter even just from one area. And those are just the very visible ones.

Those trails are largely clear, like this one, which is why in the areas nearest the park, it'd be easy to find her if she had fallen and was injured. Further in is where it gets brushy.

This is one of the major trail heads that star in the back of the park by the Joselyn Senior Center. It's likely this is where Chelsea started out IF she really headed back into the trail that spiderweb toward the lake or the neighborhood.

This is West Bernardo Road, going from the freeway on-off ramp, as it'll head up to curve around Casa (the nursing home) and toward and then past the park. As you can see, it's quite desolate and really more a shortcut used by locals who know the area.

This is the little intersection where you can either turn left (from the freeway) into Casa's entrance or right into the park's main entrance. That's the only signal on West Bernardo until you hit a few small businesses about a mile and half up the road.

 

[blossomfish]

According to the attached article, the attention is being focused on the water now, since the open areas have been searched. There will be another search tomorrow - hoping and praying for the best for Chelsea and her family.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/feb/27/throngs-turn-out-to-help-search-for-teen/

 

[TravelingBug]

I didn't realize there was a lake in the area. Has there been any talk of plans to search the lake once the weather clears up?

They've been out on boat beginning early Friday morning morning.

Despite the rain, they were out nearly entirely focusing on the lake today doing line/chain searches of it (or the areas near the park - the lake is huge and way too deep to do that in parts of it much further away).

Per the news updates from 5 and 6 tonight:

There were extensive searches on the bottom of Lake Hodges. They are out combing in line form.

What they have NOT found (signs of her) have caused them to focus more and more on the lake and few streams that feed it.

According to the Sheriff, they have essentially ruled out everything other than the lake if she is still in the area.

 

[Curious Me]

TravelingBug, Thank You so much.

In the last pic, is that the new footbridge that connects the two lake areas?

I'd love to see a pic of where Chelsea parked her car. Would she have to walk on that foot bridge?



Oops, just saw you posted minutes ago. Thank You!

 

[RubyRed]

Chelsea King Searchers 'Move Heaven and Earth' to Find Girl

http://abcnews.go.com/US/chelsea-king-missing-thursday/story?id=9966194

 

[TravelingBug]

TravelingBug, Thank You so much.

In the last pic, is that the new footbridge that connects the two lake areas?

I'd love to see a pic of where Chelsea parked her car. Would she have to walk on that foot bridge?



Oops, just saw you posted minutes ago. Thank You!

Even though I know you saw, I'll still answer.

Yes, that's the bridge. She would NOT have had to use the bridge, and, in fact, it's unlikely that she would have parking where she did. There are places much more conducive for parking than where she did, and they believe that she nearly always runs on the south side (meaning not using the bridge) of the lake.

For those that didn't see it...

This is a great photo of the park that shows the parking areas - Along the road marked West Bernardo (with the nursing home barely visible in the top right corner) you can see the parking areas used widely by runners and people at lunch near the fields marked 4, 5, and 7.

Chelsea's car was back by the Rec Center building (and that's where the footage of most of the stuff with the Sheriff is taken) - which is used more for those going at more crowded times, for the basketball/shuffleboard courts, senior center, or the trails further out.

This is where she would likely have started her run if she truly went toward the lake and neighborhood side for trail running as they believe...and it's the area right by where she parked her car.

 

[TheMentalist]

According to the attached article, the attention is being focused on the water now, since the open areas have been searched. There will be another search tomorrow - hoping and praying for the best for Chelsea and her family.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/feb/27/throngs-turn-out-to-help-search-for-teen/

Read the comments left for this article. One poster American1 states his team found fresh mountain lion tracks on the trail today!

Maybe Chelsea tried to run from the mountain lion and got off the trails into the brush...anything is possible.

 

[TravelingBug]

Someone's got Chelsea's disappearance posted on CNN ireport...maybe this will help get broader news coverage!

Unfortunately it's still raining hard here...haven't heard the helicopter since earlier this afternoon

 

[TravelingBug]

Read the comments left for this article. One poster American1 states his team found fresh mountain lion tracks on the trail today!

Maybe Chelsea tried to run from the mountain lion and got off the trails into the brush...anything is possible.

Yes, anything is possible.

As wet as it is, though, and as saturated as our ground is, prints of any kind aren't staying long and are constantly being covered by silt and debris. Unless they just missed crossing paths with a mountain lion, it sure seems very unlikely this is anything beyond an anonymous comment on the article from someone wanting a reaction. But that's JMO knowing the area, terrain, and my experiences out here over the last days, and what they're saying publicly. :angel:

 

[TravelingBug]

Great photos of the lines of people waiting to get signed up to search today

Here and here

 

[TheMentalist]

I really dont think the person commenting is looking to get a rise out of anyone I think others have indicated the cat possibility in this thread and some of those people also know the terain and park as you describe. But, as an avid hunter, hiker, horsewoman, I see an area that is inviting to a mountain lion. I have seen mountain lions up close and personal so there is much to be said for those people who have had experiences with big cats. My beagles have run them up trees on many occassions. I do know that although a mountain lion can take a deer down as the one poster shows a burial of prey...depending on the size of the mountain lion it would be quite easy for them to attack a petite woman of Chelsea's size or even smaller children. While mountain lions in California do not get very big in comparison to Utah or Colorado I have known them to attack men as well as females. (Utah has some very big mountain lions of record porportions that have been killed by hunters) But the rule of thumb is to be as big as you can when you encounter one (waving your arms, yelling etc) and try to tower over it as it will only see you are much larger and will back off of you. These cats often think that if you are taller than they are you wont be easy prey.

 

[TravelingBug]

Here are two news videosabout the search today from KGTV. Here and here

Here's KFMB's video from earlier today

Here's KNSD's video from earlier today

This is KUSI's video from late Friday night and KSWB's late news video from Friday night. Obviously these are older, but still more for people who just want to see more visuals.

 

[AmandaReckonwith]

TravelingBug, Thank You so much.

In the last pic, is that the new footbridge that connects the two lake areas?

I'd love to see a pic of where Chelsea parked her car. Would she have to walk on that foot bridge?



Oops, just saw you posted minutes ago. Thank You!

Here's a pic of her car.

 

[Ghostwheel]

At this point, everyone is just ruling out where she is NOT, and searching for anything that might be a clue to where she went. It's line search, where a search team lines up and walks the same speed from one end of their assigned area to the end, looking for anything (and I mean ANYTHING) that might have anything to do with the missing person. No one is supposed to say anything about what they find, for the missing person's safety.

Those trails do run into the backs of housing areas. Go to http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=San+Diego&state=CA&address=18448+W+Bernardo+Dr&zipcode=92127-3018&country=US&latitude=33.046343&longitude=-117.07366&geocode=ADDRESS and make sure the Aerial Map button is clicked (at the top right corner), and you can see how the trails go. There is a trail entrance at the end of Monticook Ct, I think (Been a long time since I went that way) and one at Moon Song Ct. In theory, if someone ran that way, they'd pass by those streets fairly close by.

 

[TheMentalist]

At this point, everyone is just ruling out where she is NOT, and searching for anything that might be a clue to where she went. It's line search, where a search team lines up and walks the same speed from one end of their assigned area to the end, looking for anything (and I mean ANYTHING) that might have anything to do with the missing person. No one is supposed to say anything about what they find, for the missing person's safety.

Those trails do run into the backs of housing areas. Go to http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=San+Diego&state=CA&address=18448+W+Bernardo+Dr&zipcode=92127-3018&country=US&latitude=33.046343&longitude=-117.07366&geocode=ADDRESS and make sure the Aerial Map button is clicked (at the top right corner), and you can see how the trails go. There is a trail entrance at the end of Monticook Ct, I think (Been a long time since I went that way) and one at Moon Song Ct. In theory, if someone ran that way, they'd pass by those streets fairly close by.

Yes, I am aware of that but I think that rule is imposed because they (those conducting the searches) dont know what they or their searchers are going to find whether the matter will be a criminal investigation or accident and it is to preserve the evidence and protect the safety of the person missing. What I find interesting is that the Sheriff is saying we are still holding out hope that Chelsea is alive and we can find her but we are now concentrating on the lake due to the fact that infra-red did not pick up a heat source and our searches are telling us where she is not located. So if you were alive and in the water wouldnt you be easy to find? It sounds like they think she has drown? So, this is quite contrary in my opinion. I hope we have answers soon to her dissappearance.

 

[SusanB]

Thanks to all of you for all the fantastic pics/news/links for this case!
Since I'm from 3,000 miles away, I appreciate the maps and photos.
I've just read through the thread, and agree with those who feel that if she was stricken or fell while on her run, she would have been found by now.
I hope LE is gathering all surveillance footage from around the area like the nursing home and rec center, etc.
It is time to look at her life - boyfriend, friends, cell phone records, computer, to see if there was any conflict going on. Any problems at home or school, any unusual behavior around her.
I am praying that this beautiful talented intelligent young woman has not fallen prey as a victim of random crime.
May God bless this family - give them strength and hope.
Please find Chelsea alive and well.:angel:

 

[LilysMom]

While I agree that a mountain lion could have taken her down, I have to agree with Traveling about this likely being someone who just wants to get a rise. I also question how someone would be able to identify fresh tracks given the number of search dogs that were back and forth in the area and the amount of rain that fell today?


I wanted to add that I find the comment by ilovesandiego to be VERY disturbing. Since when are men only driven by an instinct to hunt women???
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/feb/27/throngs-turn-out-to-help-search-for-teen/

 

[Ghostwheel]

....What I find interesting is that the Sheriff is saying we are still holding out hope that Chelsea is alive and we can find her but we are now concentrating on the lake due to the fact that infra-red did not pick up a heat source and our searches are telling us where she is not located. So if you were alive and in the water wouldnt you be easy to find? It sounds like they think she has drown? So, this is quite contrary in my opinion. I hope we have answers soon to her dissappearance.

Once again, though, I think they are hoping to rule OUT the lake, but they cannot do that until it is actually checked. That lake is a pain to search because it has been so many levels at so many times. At one point during the years there were fairly tall trees where part of the lake is because the water had gotten so low, so there are a lot of branches and brush remnants in the water, in addition to still-rooted plants to work past. The water is also rather mucky to start with and with searchers wading through and the rain....it's just a miserable job. My hat is off to the lake searchers, especially.