Found Deceased CA - Blaze Bernstein, 19, Lake Forest, 2 Jan 2018 #3

[SoCalRes]

On Tuesday afternoon, at approximately 2 p.m., a search of the park in Lake Forest was initiated by sheriff's investigators. Bernstein's body was discovered in the brush, officials said.

Someone posted last night, about a helicopter and some activity around the playground. She was sending her husband out.

That was me. Husband said officers looked relaxed and were searching the playground area, not brush. I am going to review his dashcam footage

 

['Ailina]

That was me. Husband said officers looked relaxed and were searching the playground area, not brush. I am going to review his dashcam footage

You're awesome. Thank you.

 

[KaliChick]

I just reread the press release ... it does not specifically state when they found his body. Just that a search was initiated at 2:00PM and his body was found.

 

[acd562]

Here's a map I annotated of Borego Park and its surroundings.

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

Heartbreaking. I am confused though by the mentions of Borrego Park and Foothill Ranch park in the press release. Are they one and the same? And if so I thought this was a relatively small park vs the larger wilderness area nearby?

This may have already been answered...
But...

Borrego Park is a smaller neighborhood park..
flat... With much grass (soccer nets), a full basketball court, some picnic tables, and enclosed restroom (male and female) ...

there is a concrete path following a ravine down that leads to the entrance of the much more vast and rugged Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park...
This path leads to a number of shops and a Ralph's supermarket, as well...

I had explored the Borrego Park on Sunday...
took the circular path (more like a rectangle, actually)...
and thought... (And even noted to a fellow searcher) that the brush surrounding Borrego Park, though low in stature, was thick enough in which to have a body hidden...

My heart breaks for this wonderful young man and those that love him...

RIP, Blaze...:candle:

 

[whitelilac]

I think that "lengthy conversation" with the friend, before the friend picked him up may be very telling. For all we know Blaze may have discussed this park meeting with whomever. It's possible the friend may even have advised against it, who knows?
But if they did discuss this "meeting" that would likely absolve the driver friend. LE has stated "no suspect", though we all know that's not always the case.

 

[charminglane]

More bad reporting, maybe 2 AM?

 

['Ailina]

The brush around the park could be accessed without ever using a street or parking lot? <snipped by me>

 

[CHEL]

His friend Lily posted on her Facebook that his body was found yesterday.

 

['Ailina]

Here's a map I annotated of Borego Park and its surrounding.

Thank you so much!

 

[Whiteorchids]

It had rained heavy yesterday flash floods in many areas and the night before. I'm sure his body was drenched with water. Hopefully it didn't rinse away any evidence. Would DNA still be on his body or can it be washed off from the rain

 

[charminglane]

It had rained heavy yesterday flash floods in many areas and the night before. I'm sure his body was drenched with water. HMopefully it didn't rinse away any evidence. Would DNA still be on his body or can it be washed off from the rain

That would depend on what kind of DNA and where on his body it was located.

 

[Whiteorchids]

I never believe when LE says no foul play suspected as I told many of you. Most of the time it is unless the body has already been found.

 

[Whiteorchids]

Maybe the friend went back at 4am to check on his body or try to move it.

 

[NekoNoReikon]

I read that as well. I think LE had pinpointed who Blaze may have met with that night and those other 2 men were on the flyer (maybe they thought he met with one, or the other or both--- knowingly or unknowingly, as in, found their real Grindr profile or whatever app, or linked the account to different people if it was a fake profile--- but either way, I think LE had an idea of who he may have met with and had those faces on the flyer).

 

[iscaremyself]

I think that "lengthy conversation" with the friend, before the friend picked him up may be very telling. For all we know Blaze may have discussed this park meeting with whomever. It's possible the friend may even have advised against it, who knows?
But if they did discuss this "meeting" that would likely absolve the driver friend. LE has stated "no suspect", though we all know that's not always the case.

what was the last text to the lady friend about?
possibly a farewell?

 

[ElementalLaura]

She hasn't been an admin for at least a day or two (I know she wasn't yesterday). I can only imagine it became very overwhelming for her.

If she's still in school, she may have started classes again. The workload would be intense in addition to the stress levels.

 

[NekoNoReikon]

I'm deeply sorry as well (responding to those who have said the same).

I definitely remember putting myself into a few different situations that were quite sketchy when I was in college, and thinking, *This was probably a bad idea...*, but the only reason I lived to tell about them, is because I lived to tell about them. That it. I was just lucky that no sketchy situation went too south. Of course now looking back, I think "I would SO UPSET if my kid did anything that stupid!", and now I understand how putting yourself into sketchy situations is no different than playing Russian roulette. That is my warning from an older kid to a younger kid.

I wish teens and 20-somethings especially, would stop making decisions that could potentially put them in critical danger, but it seems many just do at one point or another. All parents can do I think, at his age, is try to be accepting of him as a person (which they seem to have been to a degree at least) and point out the dangers of meeting with strangers in secluded places for any reason (which is what I feel happened, but we will find out in time). Meet in daylight hours in public and use your instincts to get an idea of what the person is like (safety-wise) before you go off with them to where no one can see or hear you. I totally get apps like Tinder & Grindr (I'm just over the age of a mellenial). I get the want for atonomy or a quick hookup, especially amongst gay men. I get it. But think of your life too, and the fact that something could go south, or that you could also be lured into something which has happened several times as well. There have been women killed by men they met on Tinder too. I just read about a mom of 3 who was murdered near Seattle, and also that girl who was visiting NZ for a wedding, who was thrown off a balcony by her Tinder "date". There have always been bad people in the world, but I really feel that with the ability to cast a wider net amongst who you meet, the dangers of meeting people who wish you harm have also vastly increased.

I feel so, so sad for Blaze's parents, his siblings, and his friends, but most of all, for Blaze. It's just not fair that he didn't have the chance to live so much of his beautiful life on this earth. Saying a prayer for him and his family. So sad.

 

[KaliChick]

So that area basically "goes dark" at "closing time." I also think whoever's responsible knew this area well.

I would assume so. This is a big time suburban neighborhood. I used to live about 3 miles away and frequented that shopping center just below. I'm now about 6 or 7 miles away but still go over there enough.

Keep this in mind too, this is Southern California. We don't get much rain. It rained all day yesterday and a decent amount by our standards. When it rains, people don't go out if they don't have to. Parents would have picked up from school and gone home. If you didn't have a reason to be out last night, likely you wouldn't have been.

It's a neighborhood. Generally there aren't many people out in the parks at night. You might find some teens hanging out, but it wouldn't be populated by any means.

The search of the park and Whiting Ranch had been called off. The news vans were gone. All our news stations are out of LA (about 30-45 minutes away in no traffic). They weren't camping out in the area. The OCSD serves a pretty wide area out here (many cities don't have local police, just OCSD although they are assigned to certain areas). So if it was after dark, in the rain on a Tuesday night ... it wouldn't be a stretch to assume that they recovered his body without fanfare.

 

[Whiteorchids]

I'm curious how he was killed if he was stabbed or shot that sounds like premeditated.