Found Safe CA - Erick Wales, 24, San Diego, 19 April 2010

[STEADFAST]

"On Monday morning, Erick drove away from home at 6:30 a.m. and hasn't been heard from since. His cell phone is turned off and he's not answering emails.

Now police are concerned.

"Never misses calls homes, never misses emails to friends or associates, to have him drop off suddenly...that's suspicious," said Lt. Ernie Herbert of the San Diego Police Department."
http://www.sandiego6.com/news/local/...iEeiMVNbQ.cspx

Friends of 24-year-old Erick Wales said he is extremely reliable and consider his disappearance bizarre. . . .
"It's not in his character. He's not someone who takes risks," said friend Julie Kesterson.Family and friends are passing around a flyer and have set up the www.finderickwales.com website in an effort to get clues into his disappearance. . .
"He has been fond of traveling to Las Vegas with family. He has family that lives in Arizona," said brother-in-law Joshua Zimmerman. . .
http://www.10news.com/news/23227413/detail.html

The www.findwerickwales.com web site has much more information about Erick.
I notice his driver's license is FR33BSD. FreeBSD is an open-source computer operating system, which is constantly being worked on by volunteer developers around the world. If he's really into it, and he's anything like my son, he posts about it a lot on line.

[darlin gal]

He worked for Sand Diego 6.



A member of the San Diego 6 family has been reported missing and police are stepping up the search.

Erick Wales worked as an IT specialist at San Diego 6 and recently he's been working on technology for various other companies.

On Monday morning, Erick drove away from home at 6:30 a.m. and hasn't been heard from since. His cell phone is turned off and he's not answering emails.

Now police are concerned.

"Never misses calls homes, never misses emails to friends or associates, to have him drop off suddenly...that's suspicious," said Lt. Ernie Herbert of the San Diego Police Department.

His friends are posting his missing person flier and using the technology Erick himself loves to help bring him home. The search for Erick is a hot topic right now on Twitter, for example.




http://www.sandiego6.com/news/local/...iEeiMVNbQ.cspx

[darlin gal]

[STEADFAST]

On the pictures page of the finderickwales.com web site (http://finderickwales.com/photos-of-erick/ ), there are a lot of pics of him with an attractive brunette, who I assume is his girlfriend. There's no information about whether he lived alone, with roommates, with a girlfriend, or with his parents. There's also no information about how and when people realized he was missing or who it is that reported it.
I'm just hoping that, being a young adult male, he has gone off to do something or other and has his own reasons for not contacting anyone.
Please. This time.

[KaylynnCouture]

Originally Posted by STEADFAST

On the pictures page of the finderickwales.com web site (http://finderickwales.com/photos-of-erick/ ), there are a lot of pics of him with an attractive brunette, who I assume is his girlfriend. There's no information about whether he lived alone, with roommates, with a girlfriend, or with his parents. There's also no information about how and when people realized he was missing or who it is that reported it.
I'm just hoping that, being a young adult male, he has gone off to do something or other and has his own reasons for not contacting anyone.
Please. This time.

You're right, according to his facebook, that's his girlfriend. There are numerous posts from all of his friends on Facebook pleading with him to contact someone/come home. He seems very loved by all of his friends/family.

[STEADFAST]

Earlier I posted that we don't know who he lived with, but I had missed this:

"There's a huge network of people who miss him very much and care about him and if he has any ability to see that, I hope he's able to contact one of us," said Erick's roommate of seven years, Joshua Zimmerman. "When I think about him, I just miss him a great deal."

Zimmerman described his long-time friend as wise way beyond his years. "Anytime I needed anything solved in any knowledge related area, he was the guy I would turn to."

He continued, "he brought so much life to a gathering, everyone who knew him at some point have a good knowledge of his personality." BBM http://www.sandiego6.com/news/local/...iEeiMVNbQ.cspx

It's probably not significant, but, for the record, I find it odd that the roommate is speaking of Erick in the past tense, I mean, it's only been three days and, so far, there's no evidence of foul play.

[Bubble1421]

This one is hard to find info on. It looks like he did some photography for the girl that is in the pictures on the Find Erick Wales website. It also appears that she is a photographer and an actress. There are a few sites where it appears that he submitted bugs or issues with USBs and Modems. There is also an article that states he was in a band but is no longer with that band. I wish there was more info for us to go on.

[fran]

From this article, it appears he's still a part of the San Diego music scene.

fran



http://www.sddialedin.com/2010/04/mi...ick-wales.html

Missing Person: Help Find Erick Wales

[fran]

Aha! His roommate, friend is also in the San Diego music scene.

hmmm, doesn't mean anything, really, just background noise.

Hope they find this young man soon.

fran

[STEADFAST]

I wonder where he was seen, by whom, and in what circumstances before he was last seen leaving for work. And who saw him leave for work?

[fran]

Good youtube..............shows Erick talking etc.

fran

YouTube

YouTube

Erick Wales Missing

[Essbee]

Gotta give this one a bump!
His missing person website, http://www.finderickwales.com , is reporting the following timeline:

April 19, 2010
6:30 AM- Erick leaves his residence in Mission Valley, an area in central San Diego, CA.
6:50 AM- Erick made a transaction at an ATM off the 15 Freeway at Aero Drive.
8:00 AM- A call was made to Erick’s cell phone, which appeared to be turned off with all calls going directly to voicemail. All subsequent calls to Erick’s cell phone have been unsuccessful with his phone remaining off.

I live sort of near the Mission Valley/Kearny Mesa area, so I am really concerned about this young man!

[STEADFAST]

The www.finderickwales.com web site has been updated with a map and timeline. This is the information for the 19th. For today, they mention that LE is pursuing "possible leads."

April 19, 2010

• 6:30 AM- Erick leaves his residence in Mission Valley, an area in central San Diego, CA.
• 6:50 AM- Erick made a transaction at an ATM off the 15 Freeway at Aero Drive.
• 8:00 AM- A call was made to Erick’s cell phone, which appeared to be turned off with all calls going directly to voicemail. All subsequent calls to Erick’s cell phone have been unsuccessful with his phone remaining off.

ETA: Essbee, you were posting while I was writing this! Welcome to WS!!!

[STEADFAST]

I suppose they must have video of him using the ATM. Otherwise the transaction could have been done by someone who had gotten his card and PIN. I wish LE would come out with some kind of statement about what they definitely know. There's very little news about this case.

Another thing I'd like to know is if the ATM is in a logical stopping place between his home and work or if it was in a different direction. I'd also like a more exact idea of where his home and work are. I read a comment on line that he worked from home (Of course, you never know about the origin and motive for online comments.)

ETA If he works where LinkedIn says he works, then the location of the ATM is on his way to work. It would be about 3-4 miles north of his home, and then his work would be about 13 or so miles northwest of that. The location of the possible sighting yesterday in downtown San Diego would be 7 to 8 miles southwest of home.
Addresses in this Google map are approximate. (E=home, B=ATM, C=work, D=possible sighting)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sour...,0.441513&z=11

[STEADFAST]

Oh, and did he take a lot of money out of the ATM? Enough to get by on for a few days away from home?

Also from the timeline at www.finderickwales.com, a possible sighting of Erick yesterday.

April 21, 2010

• 2:30 PM- San Diego Police Department was contacted about a possible siting of a person matching Erick’s description around 5th & Island in downtown San Diego. Police responded immediately but the area checked negative. However, Erick is known to frequent this area.

[fran]

Thanks for the new info. I hope someone didn't rob him or worse when he went to the atm. I wonder how much money he withdrew and if it was an unusually larger amount than normal?

fran

[powayparent]

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2...disappearance/

"Erick Allen Wales, 24, left his apartment about 6:30 a.m. for his job at VestaCare in La Jolla, where he works as an information technologist, and has not been seen or heard from since. Police were notified that Wales was missing on Tuesday."

[STEADFAST]

Originally Posted by powayparent

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2...disappearance/

"Erick Allen Wales, 24, left his apartment about 6:30 a.m. for his job at VestaCare in La Jolla, where he works as an information technologist, and has not been seen or heard from since. Police were notified that Wales was missing on Tuesday."

Thanks, powayparent! I updated the map and description of probable daily route to work in my previous post.

[powayparent]

Originally Posted by STEADFAST

Thanks, powayparent! I updated the map and description of probable daily route to work in my previous post.

I've never commuted South to North so I don't know the traffic conditions but I wouldn't have thought it made sense for him to be on the 15 at all. 805/52 or 163/805/52 is more direct.

[STEADFAST]

Originally Posted by powayparent

I've never commuted South to North so I don't know the traffic conditions but I wouldn't have thought it made sense for him to be on the 15 at all. 805/52 or 163/805/52 is more direct.

I'm not familiar with the commute that far north, but I thought maybe he was at that particular ATM on HWY 15 because he avoided traffic on 805, but I don't know what traffic is like on 15 going north compared to 805. If you take the ATM stop out of Google directions, it shows the route as 163/805/52 (Still don't know what his exact address is in Mission Valley -- that might make a difference.)

BUT:

If he went out of his way to drive on the 15, he'd be heading either up to I-40, which goes all the way across the country, OR directly to Las Vegas, where his friends said he liked to visit.

"He has been fond of traveling to Las Vegas with family. He has family that lives in Arizona," said brother-in-law Joshua Zimmerman. http://www.10news.com/news/23227413/detail.html

[TravelingBug]

Originally Posted by STEADFAST

I'm not familiar with the commute that far north, but I thought maybe he was at that particular ATM on HWY 15 because he avoided traffic on 805, but I don't know what traffic is like on 15 going north compared to 805. If you take the ATM stop out of Google directions, it shows the route as 163/805/52 (Still don't know what his exact address is in Mission Valley -- that might make a difference.)

BUT:

If he went out of his way to drive on the 15, he'd be heading either up to I-40, which goes all the way across the country, OR directly to Las Vegas, where his friends said he liked to visit.

I would guess if he lives in Mission Valley on the east side near 'The Q,' then the Aero stop for the ATM would fit, and then he could just go up those few exits and take 52 East to La Jolla. That would sort of make sense if he were living/oriented on the east side of Mission Valley nearer to Mission Gorge/Tierrasanta than the Mission/Fashion Valley area itself.

I've heard nothing about this on the local news yet. Only learned of it here on WS. I'm a little surprise since it's not all that long post-Chelsea King, etc.

[powayparent]

"San Diego police are at the 1900 block of Logan Avenue at Chicano Park, where the Saturn Ion has been found, belonging to missing man Erick Wales, San Diego Police tell 10news."

http://www.10news.com/news/23254781/detail.html

Map of Chicano Park: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=chican...ogan%20heights

[darlin gal]

SAN DIEGO - A car found abandoned Saturday morning belongs to Erick Wales, the former San Diego 6 employee who has been missing since Monday morning.

It was in the 1900 block of Logan Avenue, under an Interstate overpass southeast of downtown San Diego.

His black Saturn Ion was found about 9 a.m. on Logan Avenue under Interstate 5 by a parking control officer working at Chicano Park for festivities there, police Sgt. Ray Battrick said. Officers arrived at the car to investigate.
http://www.sandiego6.com/news/local/...iEeiMVNbQ.cspx

[fhc]

Photo of the car as it was found

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/loca...-92010444.html

[TravelingBug]

To me that is very alarming. It's the opposite direction of both work and the one possible place people were thinking he might go (Vegas).

More than that, it's alarming because Chicano Park is right under the Coronado Bay Bridge, one of the bridges/overpasses most used for suicides or suicide attempts. In fact, the son of a family I know is one who jumped off the CBB. And while a number who do so drive on the bridge before attempting it, others walk from the Chicano Park parking area where his car was found.

Not saying that's definitely what it means, but that definitely makes me concerned. Although I suppose if someone were going to do that, it'd be odd to go to the ATM first. Heading that direction, however, does fit with reported sightings of him downtown.

This is a really odd case. And still getting remarkably little publicity.

Originally Posted by darlin gal

SAN DIEGO - A car found abandoned Saturday morning belongs to Erick Wales, the former San Diego 6 employee who has been missing since Monday morning.

It was in the 1900 block of Logan Avenue, under an Interstate overpass southeast of downtown San Diego.

His black Saturn Ion was found about 9 a.m. on Logan Avenue under Interstate 5 by a parking control officer working at Chicano Park for festivities there, police Sgt. Ray Battrick said. Officers arrived at the car to investigate.
http://www.sandiego6.com/news/local/...iEeiMVNbQ.cspx