JEAN BERLINGHOFF - 15 yo (2010) - Redding CA

Authorities Ask For Help Finding Missing Teen

POSTED: 1:37 pm PST November 12, 2010


REDDING, Calif. -- Shasta County authorities are asking the public for help finding a Redding teenager.15 year old Jean Berlinghoff was last seen November 10th with her uncle 44 year old Charles Berlinghoff. Authorities say the pair might be in a gray 1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass with California plate number 2DNX546.Jean is thought to be endangered due to her age and the fact that family and friends have not heard from her. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Shasta County Sheriff's Office at 245-6149 or 245-6025.

Jean Marie Berlinghoff has not had contact with her family since Wednesday.



Redding girl, 15, reported missingA 15-year-old girl is missing from her south Redding home and may be traveling with an uncle.

Jacob Berlinghoff said his daughter, Jean Marie Berlinghoff, has not been seen since about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. He said Thursday night that an Amber Alert will be issued.

He said another brother last saw Jean at her home near Shasta College. Visiting the home was Charles Berlinghoff, 44, who lives in Los Angeles, his brother said.

Jacob Berlinghoff said he called Shasta County sheriff’s deputies Wednesday night after his daughter failed to return home. No one has been able to contact her or his brother. Charles Berlinghoff’s cell phone has been disconnected, he said.

“Everything is like they fell off the planet,” he said. “Her mom and I were stunned. We feel so helpless right now.”

Charles Berlinghoff drives a gray 1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass, license number 2DNX546. He is 5- foot-11, weighs 160 pounds and has black hair.

Jean Berlinghoff, a 15-year-old sophomore at Enterprise High School, has black hair and blue eyes. She is about 5-foot-2.

Anyone with information on their whereabouts should call the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office at 245-6540.

http://www.redding.com/news/2010/nov/12/search-grows-for-missing-girl/
Search grows for missing Redding teen


Jean Marie Berlinghoff was last seen at her north Redding home Wednesday afternoon.


Charles Berlinghoff was in the north state during the last month visiting his family and children.


A car similar to the one that Charles Berlinghoff may be driving.



Two days after she went missing, the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office on Friday afternoon asked for the public’s help in finding a Redding girl last seen Wednesday afternoon.
Jean Marie Berlinghoff, 15, was last seen at her north Redding home Wednesday afternoon with her uncle, Charles Berlinghoff, 44, said Sgt. Jim Beaupre of the Shasta Sheriff’s Office.The two may have left the house in Charles Berlinghoff’s gray 1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass with California plate 2DNX546.“Jean Berlinghoff is believed to be endangered due to her age and the fact that both subjects have not been in contact with family or friends,” Beaupre said Friday afternoon.

Jacob Berlinghoff, 33, the girl’s father, said Charles Berlinghoff — who is trying to make it as a hard rock bass player in Los Angeles— is his brother. Charles Berlinghoff was in the north state over the last month, visiting his family and three children in Corning. During that time he stayed in Jacob Berlinghoff’s house and befriended Jean Berlinghoff, her father said.
Jean was last seen at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.Her father says he doesn’t know where they might have gone.

A sophomore at Enterprise High School, Jean Berlinghoff has black hair and blue eyes. She is 5 feet 2 inches tall.Charles Berlinghoff weighs 160 pounds and has black hair. He is 5 feet 11 inches tall.
Beaupre said the sheriff’s office issued an EMA “endangered, missing advisory” about Jean Berlinghoff Friday.That type of advisory is not as urgent or widespread as an Amber Alert, a notice to police and the media that rapidly publicizes a child’s disappearance throughout the state, or even nationwide. Jean’s family sought an Amber Alert, but that didn’t happen, Beaupre said.

“It doesn’t meet the criteria for an Amber Alert,” he said.
He said Jean Berlinghoff might have willingly left with Charles Berlinghoff and deputies don’t think she is in imminent danger of serious injury or death.Triggers for an Amber Alert include an abduction and threat that the abductor may hurt or kill the person he or she kidnapped.
Beaupre said the sheriff’s office waited two days to put out a public announcement about Jean Berlinghoff because it first issued a broadcast to law enforcement officers and agencies in hopes of finding her.“We are working on this,” he said Friday afternoon.
On Thursday afternoon a sheriff’s records clerk said no “be-on-the lookout” (BOLO) advisory had been issued.Jacob Berlinghoff, Jean Berlinghoff’s friends and family spent Friday afternoon posting missing-person fliers around Redding.
“She’s in danger,” Jacob Berlinghoff said. “Basically I’m out trying to pass out fliers, trying to litter the town in case somebody has seen them.”
Berlinghoff posted the fliers at businesses along Cypress Avenue and Hilltop Drive while others fanned out and posted them elsewhere in town. In all they had 700 copies to distribute, said Jamie Schumpert, 29, Jacob Berlinghoff’s fiancee.
“We’ve just been handing them out everywhere,” he said.
A sheriff’s detective visited Berlinghoff’s home in east Redding Friday afternoon, the first time Jacob Berlinghoff said he met with someone in person about Jean’s disappearance after several phone conversations since Wednesday, when he first reported his daughter missing.
A crime scene technician went through her room in search of clues.
Electronic Shasta County Superior Court records show that Charles Berlinghoff pleaded no contest in 1993 to misdemeanor indecent exposure and was sentenced to 60 days in jail.
That jail sentence, however, was stayed for six months under the condition he attended counseling for six months with a minimum of two sessions per month with a qualified psychiatrist or psychologist.
His misdemeanor conviction was set aside in July 2002, the electronic records reveal.
Beaupre said deputies are aware that Charles Berlinghoff has a criminal history.Anyone with information about Jean Berlinghoff’s whereabouts should call the Sheriff’s Office at 245-6540.

Jim Schultz contributed to this report.

Friends and family of missing Redding teenager Jean Marie Berlinghoff distributed fliers to aid in her search at a gathering Saturday outside Redding City Hall.Originally planned as a candlelight vigil, the gathering of about 60 people turned into an opportunity to hand out fliers and coordinate efforts where volunteers could post more.Many businesses around Redding already have the fliers on display.Jean, 15, was last seen Wednesday afternoon and is believed to be with her uncle, Charles Berlinghoff, 44.Students from Enterprise High School, where Jean is a sophomore, went to the Mt. Shasta Mall on Saturday to give out the informational fliers and let shoppers know about her disappearance.“We passed out at least 500 fliers,” said student Janelle Buckingham. “Most people already knew about it, but it was good to talk to people and give them more information,” she said.Jean’s mother, Heather Vega, 33, of Redding, said Saturday that the family hasn’t heard from her since Wednesday.“That’s the scary part,” Vega said.And she doesn’t know where the pair might have gone.“I don’t think anyone wants to sit home doing nothing. No one is sleeping; no one is eating. I know the sheriff’s office and law enforcement are doing everything they can with the exception of the Amber Alert,” said her father, Jacob Berlinghoff, 33.The Shasta County Sheriff’s Office issued an EMA “endangered, missing advisory” about Jean on Friday.That type of advisory is not as urgent or widespread as an Amber Alert, a notice to police and the media that rapidly publicizes a child’s disappearance.The family sought an Amber Alert, but a sheriff’s office spokesman said the situation didn’t meet the criteria for an Amber Alert.Anyone with information about Jean’s whereabouts is urged to call the sheriff’s office at 225-6540.

A search is under way for a missing Redding teenager who may be headed to Southern California. Police said 15-year-old Jean Marie Berlinghoff may be with her uncle, Charles Berlinghoff. The girl was last seen with her uncle on Wednesday afternoon. The uncle is pursuing a music career in Los Angeles and investigators think the pair could be headed to the Southland. The two may be driving a gray 1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass with California license plate 2DNX546. If you have any information about this case, call the Shasta County sheriffs at (530) 245-6540.

UPDATE: Missing Redding Teen Not In Danger, Sheriff Says

REDDING, Calif. -- A missing Redding teenager is not believed to be in danger, according to the Shasta County Sheriff's Office. Investigators held a press conference Monday afternoon regarding the disappearance of 15-year-old Jean Marie Berlinghoff.Investigators say they don't believe the teenager, who is believed to be with her uncle, is in any immediate danger, and say her disappearance does not fit the criteria for an Amber Alert to be issued.The 15-year-old was last seen at her father's house on Old Oregon Trail Road in East Redding on Wednesday, November 10. She is believed to be with her uncle, 44-year-old Charles Berlinghoff, and may be heading to Southern California.The two may be driving a gray 1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass with California license plate 2DNX546.Anyone with information is asked to contact the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office at 530-245-6165.
http://www.krcrtv.com/news/25799798/detail.html

Personally, I tend to disagree and think she is in danger. What would a decent 44 year old man want with a 15 year old and why is her phone switched off so they can't be found? She has been isolated from her family. Even if she went willingly, which we don't even know, he has groomed her, charmed her into going along with him. He's isolated her which is typical behaviour for an abuser.

Sheriff says his agency’s calls for Amber Alert were denied


Jean Marie Berlinghoff has been missing since Wednesday.



Charles Berlinghoff, Jean’s uncle, is believed to be with her.



A car similar to the one that Charles Berlinghoff may be driving.





The Shasta County Sheriff’s Office had requested an Amber Alert four times since a Redding girl went missing last week, but the California Highway Patrol denied the requests.

A search for Jean Marie Berlinghoff, 15, continues and the sheriff’s office is trying to spread word of her disappearance every way it can, Sheriff Tom Bosenko said at a press conference this afternoon. Jean went missing at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday and is believed to be with her uncle, Charles Berlinghoff, 44, of Los Angeles.

He said the CHP told him the requests for an Amber Alert were denied because the CHP doesn’t consider her to be abducted or in immediate threat of injury or death. Law enforcement agencies around the state have received an endangered missing advisory (EMA) which Bosenko said is a step below an Amber Alert.

The EMA gives suspect and victim information to other law enforcement agencies without alerts to the media and the activation of highway reader boards that come with an Amber Alert. Amber Alerts are notices to police and the media that rapidly publicize a child’s disappearance throughout the state, or even nationwide.

CHP Capt. Jerry Flavin said CHP sticks to its strict guidelines when deciding whether to issue an Amber Alert. According to the CHP website, those guidelines are: the alert must only be activated by law enforcement agencies; it’s intended only for the “most serious, time-critical” child abduction cases; and it is not intended for “cases involving runaways or parental abduction, except in life-threatening situations.”

He said the CHP’s Emergency Notification and Tactical Alert Center in Sacramento decides whether to issue an Amber Alert or not after a request. Flavin said they don’t issue Amber Alerts lightly.

“If we overuse the Amber system we are going to lose the Amber system,” Flavin said. “It’s not for runaways. It’s meant for abductions.”

Jean and Charles Berlinghoff may be traveling in a gray 1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass.

Anyone with information about their whereabouts should call the Sheriff’s Office at 245-6540.

kiwimom wrote:UPDATE: Missing Redding Teen Not In Danger, Sheriff Says

REDDING, Calif. -- A missing Redding teenager is not believed to be in danger, according to the Shasta County Sheriff's Office. Investigators held a press conference Monday afternoon regarding the disappearance of 15-year-old Jean Marie Berlinghoff.Investigators say they don't believe the teenager, who is believed to be with her uncle, is in any immediate danger, and say her disappearance does not fit the criteria for an Amber Alert to be issued.The 15-year-old was last seen at her father's house on Old Oregon Trail Road in East Redding on Wednesday, November 10. She is believed to be with her uncle, 44-year-old Charles Berlinghoff, and may be heading to Southern California.The two may be driving a gray 1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass with California license plate 2DNX546.Anyone with information is asked to contact the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office at 530-245-6165.
http://www.krcrtv.com/news/25799798/detail.html

Personally, I tend to disagree and think she is in danger. What would a decent 44 year old man want with a 15 year old and why is her phone switched off so they can't be found? She has been isolated from her family. Even if she went willingly, which we don't even know, he has groomed her, charmed her into going along with him. He's isolated her which is typical behaviour for an abuser.

I agree with every word. This man is a criminal for taking her and his intentions were dishonorable. They should not have assumed she went willingly. Had an Amber Alert been issued, she may well have been found.

No 15 year old girl would be interested in a man 3 times her age. He kidnapped her. She probably was with him willingly at first because she didn't know his evil intentions.

As always, JMO.

A felony arrest warrant has been issued for the uncle of Jean Berlinghoff, the 15 year old Redding teen who disappeared almost a week ago.The Shasta County Sheriff's Office issued the warrant for 44 year old Charles David Berlinghoff of Los Angeles.Jean Berlinghoff was last seen Wednesday at her Redding home and hasn't been heard from since.The Sheriff's Office has all of its investigators working the case and say new details are constantly coming in.Information uncovered in recent interviews and from resources inside and outside the department helped them obtain the warrant from a Shasta County Judge today.Despite pleas from Jean's family, the CHP says the case does not meet the requirements for an Amber Alert.The pair could be traveling in Charles Berlinghoff’s car, a gray 1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass with California license plate 2DNX546.Anyone with information is urged to call the Shasta County Sheriff's Office at (530) 245-6540.

Warrant Issued for Missing Girl’s Uncle; More on Amber Alerts

November 16, 2010

An arrest warrant was issued today for the uncle of missing Redding 15-year-old Jean Marie Berlinghoff . Charles David Berlinghoff, 44, of Los Angeles is wanted by the Shasta County Sheriff on suspicion of felony child concealment, the sheriff’s office reported.

Charles David Berlinghoff

Also today, the California Highway Patrol’s Media Relations Commander Fran Clader contacted A News Cafe to clarify the issue of the Amber Alert system regarding the missing teen.

Clader said the CHP could not, by law, grant the Amber Alert request from the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office. The CHP, which administers the alert system, communicated with the sheriff’s office about the case and learned that it failed to meet the legislated requirements. As Bosenko stated in Monday’s story , his department did not have information that Jean Marie Berlinghoff was abducted or that she was in imminent danger.


Jean Marie Berlinghoff

Clader added that the system is designed to work for child abduction cases in the immediate moments after an incident has occurred. In this case, the teenager was not reported missing for several hours after she was last seen.

The Amber Alert system has been utilized 17 times in 2010, resulting in the safe return of 18 children.

In the case of Berlinghoff, the CHP alerted law enforcement agencies and media outlets throughout California through the Emergency Data Information Service (EDIS) and sent out a Critical Reach Flier containing a picture and a description of the missing teen and details surrounding her disappearance. The CHP also contacted the Oregon State Police and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, as well as the Mexican-California border.
This afternoon, the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office issued the following statement:

"Detectives from the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office obtained an arrest warrant for Charles David Berlinghoff for 278 PC [detainment or concealment of child from the legal custodian], a felony. The Major Crimes Unit is actively interviewing witnesses and following up on incoming investigative leads or tips. In addition, several investigative tools afforded to law enforcement are being utilized in an effort to locate Jean and Charles Berlinghoff. The primary goal is to locate and bring Jean Marie Berlinghoff home safely.
The Shasta County Sheriff’s Office is grateful to the many local, state and federal agencies that continue to work closely with us. In addition we are grateful to members of the media and public for their continued support.

The arrest warrant for Charles Berlinghoff was entered into N.C.I.C. (National Crime Information Center) for nation wide distribution. The following are some of the resources being utilized by the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office. The California Highway Patrol, local allied law enforcement agencies, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, Polly Klaus Foundation, U.S. Customs, F.B.I., Secret Witness as well as law enforcement agencies in the Los Angeles area."

The Shasta County Sheriff's office is supposedly doing all they can to help, but at the same time, they continue to shy away from calling this an abduction. Because of that, it's effectively excluding Jean from being included in the Amber Alert system. She may have been found by now if only they would listen to her dad, Jake, who knows his own daughter best. They're very close. The day Jean and Charles came up missing, Jake had received a phone call from her in which she sounded upset and she told him she needed to talk to him. Because of her tone, Jake knew that something was wrong and left work early to go home to have that talk. When he arrived, no one was there. I can't say much more, but it's believed that Charles had behaved inappropriately towards his niece and she was going to tell her dad.

I don't know if it's been reported here or not, but Jean did not take her cell phone, makeup, extra clothing...she went with nothing but the clothes on her back. How many 15 yr old girls would leave without anything at all? Plus, Charlie left his luggage behind. Apparently he was in such a hurry that he couldn't be bothered to take his belongings, either. Does any of this make sense?

As has been said here, what 44 yr. old man would take a 15 yr. old girl away from her father? Away from his own brother? There's more to this story, of course, but basically, I think eventually the Sheriff's office and CHP will regret not calling this an abduction and issuing that Amber Alert. I certainly pray I'm wrong. :(

i am afraid you are right -

welcome to our blog

http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=viewChildDetail&caseNum=1160058&orgPrefix=NCMC&seqNum=1&caseLang=en_US&searchLang=en_US

Welcome to the forum Daringdove, and thanks for the information. Jeans father must be going out of his mind. I hope they are found soon and she's ok

Look like ratings won over

A telephone interview with a cousin of missing Redding teen Jean Marie Berlinghoff had been scheduled to run on the “Nancy Grace” television show Wednesday but was nowhere to be found.Instead, the show was dominated by footage of a conversation between Beth Holloway-Twitty, Natalee Holloway’s mother, and Joren Van der Sloot, a suspect in Holloway’s murder, and a story about the murder of Hollywood publicist Ronni Chasen in Beverly Hills.Berlinghoff’s cousin, Laura Berlinghoff-Espinosa, said Wednesday before the show she called the program and was happy people there were interested.“It’s the first national media outlet we’ve gotten,” Berlinghoff-Espinosa said. Jacob Berlinghoff, Jean’s father, is Berlinghoff-Espinosa’s uncle.“Anything to bring Jeannie home,” she said.Berlinghoff-Espinosa was in contact with a producer all day who told her the segment would be on the show.“It’s unfortunate that there was a lot of hype about it,” she said. “I guess they just had bigger news, in their perspective.”While a segment didn’t air Wednesday night, Berlinghoff-Espinosa believes the producers will air it soon.“I still have hope,” she said.The program airs at 5 p.m. on CNN’s HLN network, said Marlaina Schiavo, a producer for the show. She described the Berlinghoff piece as a “quick segment” on the one-hour program.Schiavo did not return phone calls placed to her office and cell phone immediately after the show aired.Jean Berlinghoff, 15, has been missing from her Redding home since Nov. 10. A $100,000 felony arrest warrant was issued Tuesday for her uncle, Charles David Berlinghoff, 44.He is wanted for detainment or concealment of a child from the legal custodian, Shasta County sheriff’s officials said.Grace is a former prosecutor and legal commentator, often focusing on victims’ rights.http://www.redding.com/news/2010/nov/17/missing-girl-was-to-be-topic-on-show/

A $10,000 reward is being offered by Secret Witness and an anonymous source for information leading to the arrest of Charles Berlinghoff and the return of his 15-year-old niece, Jean Marie Berlinghoff of Redding, the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office reported this afternoon.Charles Berlinghoff, 44, of Los Angeles is wanted on suspicion of detainment or concealment of child from the legal custodian. He and Jean Berlinghoff disappeared Nov. 10, her family members said.Secret Witness and an anonymous source have each offered up to $5,000 for information. The sheriff’s office asks anyone with information to contact Secret Witness at 530-243-2313 or go to the website at http://www.scsecretwitness.com/.
Tipsters can choose to remain anonymous.

Search continues for missing Redding teen

Click photo to enlarge


Jean Berlinghoff


A $100,000 felony arrest warrant was issued Tuesday for a Los Angeles man who hasn't been seen since Nov. 10 when his niece went missing from her Redding home.



Charles David Berlinghoff, 44,is wanted for detainment or concealment of a child from the legal custodian, said Shasta County Sheriff's Sgt. John Hubbard.

Berlinghoff's niece, Jean Berlinghoff, 15, of Redding, was last seen at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Hubbard said the difference between detainment or concealment of a child and kidnapping is the use of force or threats.

It does show that maliciously he has kept this child from their parent, he said.

They want to know where their daughter is, and they don't want her with this gentleman.

A judge signed a felony warrant for Charles Berlinghoff's arrest at 2:30 p.m.

Tuesday six days after Jean went missing,Hubbard said.

He said all of the two sergeants and eight detectives in the sheriff's major crime unit are working on the case.

Everybody is involved actively, he said.

Heather Vega, 33,Jean's mother, said she is hopeful the warrant will make people realize the urgency of the situation.

The pair could be traveling in Charles Berlinghoff's car, a gray 1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass with a California plate of 2DNX546.

Anyone with information about their whereabouts should call the sheriff's office at 245-6540.
http://www.redbluffdailynews.com/ci_16657369

Jean Berlinghoff, a 15-year-old Redding girl who has been missing since Wednesday, November 10th, is believed to be with her uncle, a convicted sex offender.In 1998, Charles David Berlinghoff was convicted of one count of child molestation, although he was originally charged with four. The one charge was later expunged from his record and he is not listed on Meagan's law.The week leading up to Jean's disappearance, Charles had been staying with the family. Prior to her disappearance, the family says they didn't know about Charles' previous conviction and that's why he was allowed to stay at the home.The Shasta County Sheriff's Office says they are doing everything they can, putting eight investigators on the case, trying to bring Jean home.Investigators say they believe Jean is at risk, but not in eminent danger.

they believe Jean is at risk, but not in eminent danger.

---I humbly but loudly disagree. This animal has his prey and when cornered by the authorities may do what so many others have done in the past.

Poster's Note: This is a "Letter to the Editor" sent to a local newspaper by the area commander of the California Highway Patrol.

This letter is in response to recent articles in your newspaper and the public forum regarding the California Highway Patrol’s assistance to the Shasta County Sheriff’s Department in the ongoing investigation of missing teen Jean Marie Berlinghoff. First and foremost, the CHP and the Shasta County Sheriff’s Department are committed to finding and returning Jean Marie to her family. A significant amount of law enforcement resources are being dedicated to bringing this case to a successful conclusion and our efforts will not end until Jean Marie is found. There have been suggestions the CHP delayed and subsequently refused to activate the Amber Alert system. That assertion is simply not true. The fact is the CHP’s Emergency Notification and Tactical Alert Center (ENTAC) was first notified of the incident by the Sheriff’s Department on Nov. 11 at 7:31 p.m., not on Nov. 10 as you reported. Subsequent to that initial call, communications and information sharing between the two agencies has been ongoing. Your paper also reports four calls from the sheriff “failed to connect.” Our review found that the initial Nov. 11 call from SHASCOM was made to ENTAC’s old telephone number and the correct number was provided immediately by the Redding CHP Communications Center and the call was completed within minutes. We agree that any connection delay is unacceptable and we are working with our allied agency partners to improve. Regarding an Amber Alert request, it should be mentioned that the CHP does not deny Amber Alerts. The CHP works with the investigating agency to help them determine whether or not their case meets the criteria outlined by law. If the criteria are met, the CHP activates the alert. The CHP, along with the Shasta County Sheriff’s Department, has broadly disseminated information on this case to law enforcement agencies and media outlets statewide. Information on the disappearance also was disseminated to law enforcement agencies in Oregon, Nevada and Arizona and at the California/Mexico border. CHP initiated an Endangered Missing Advisory and contacted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Additionally, color bulletins with Jean Marie’s photograph, physical description and details of the incident have been disseminated to law enforcement agencies and the media statewide. Amber Alerts are intended for the most serious child abduction cases where the investigating agency believes serious bodily injury or death is likely to occur. Named for an abducted child in Texas, Amber Hagerman, the program was born in the wake of tragedies where children were abducted from their families and murdered by strangers. It is an effective program only when used properly, and its use is governed by California law. In California, by law, the activation of the “emergency broadcast system” is the Amber Alert. It is intended to provide immediate information to the public through an initial interruption of television and radio broadcasts for qualifying abductions where the victim is believed to be in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death. The hope is that media partners will then provide more in-depth coverage after the initial alert. All other types of notifications, including changeable freeway message signs, are supporting elements and not the Amber Alert itself. Many of the same notifications used as supporting elements for an Amber Alert have been used in the efforts to locate Jean Marie. It is because of these efforts that information about her disappearance has been distributed statewide and nationally. It is encouraging that people have a positive view of the Amber Alert program. But this view should be tempered with the fact that Amber Alert is one tool, with a specific purpose, for law enforcement to use. The determination of whether a specific case rises to the level of an Amber Alert is one that is not taken lightly. In cases where an Amber Alert is not issued because an agency has determined it does not meet its statutory criteria, the CHP will use all other resources at its disposal to disseminate information about the missing child, as was done in this case. Our ultimate goal is to bring a child home safely. Finally, if anyone has any information that can assist in locating Jean Marie, please contact the Shasta County Sheriff’s Department at 530-245-6540. Capt. G.A. Flavin is the California Highway Patrol’s Redding area commander.

Charles Berlinghoff’s whereabouts and those of his young niece are as mysterious to many of his family members as the strange turns his life took during a decade-long absence.


While Charlie, as his family members call him, reconnected with them around 2005, he didn’t tell them about his legal troubles. He didn’t say that he had been ordered to stay away from children under 18 during three of the years he was away. He didn’t talk about having to register as a sex offender.Those details, revealed in Tehama County Court records, would have been warnings to Jacob Berlinghoff, 33, of Redding, who let Charlie back into his life and into the house where he lives with his two teenage girls and their two younger brothers.“If anyone had any clue to his history ,” Jacob Berlinghoff said, “brother or not brother, there is no way he would have been around the kids.”Charlie, 44, is wanted on a $100,000 warrant for keeping Jean Berlinghoff, 15, of Redding, from her parents. Charlie and Jean haven’t been seen since Nov. 10.Jean’s family members in Redding say they don’t know where the two are and haven’t heard from them since Nov. 10.That includes her younger sister, Brianna Berlinghoff, 13. Briana said she and Jean were close. After having not seen her and not knowing where she’s been for a week and a half, she said she’s just hoping for a phone call.“I just want to know that she is OK,” Brianna said.She said she wouldn’t quiz her sister about where she’s been or why she left.Like her father, Brianna said she thinks Jean’s connection to Charlie played a part in her disappearance.Knowing Charlie mostly from visits he made to Redding from Los Angeles, where he played bass in metal bands, she said he didn’t act like a typical uncle.“He was just a cool uncle,” Brianna said. “He was more like a friend than an uncle.”She said he didn’t judge what the girls did and didn’t get mad at them.During Charlie’s most recent visit he’d become close to Jean and Brianna said she saw her sister change. She didn’t confide in her as much. She didn’t joke around as much.But she didn’t talk about leaving.Like his younger daughter, Jacob Berlinghoff said he had a close relationship with Jean. He said the two would talk about everything from school to boys and the other dominating factors in teenage life.She didn’t talk about wanting to leaving or her bond with Charlie though.Jacob Berlinghoff said he had a fight with Charlie that almost led to blows the day he and Jean were last seen. He’d found text messages between Charlie and Jean in which he called her “baby.”He confronted his brother about it.“He said, well, that is the way he talks to his girls,” Jacob Berlinghoff said.Family members stepped in before the brothers got into a brawl and Charlie agreed to go back to LA. Later that day he and Jean went missing.Since then Jacob Berlinghoff, and the Shasta County Sheriff’s detectives working the case, have been sifting through Charlie’s past for any clues of where they went and why.While Jacob Berlinghoff says he and his brother, one of his 10 siblings, were close when he was 11 to 15, Charlie cut himself from the family for more than 10 years staring in the mid-1990s.“We had zero contact,” Jacob Berlinghoff said.Charlie was convicted of indecent exposure in Shasta County in 1993 and he was charged with four counts of misdemeanor child molestation and one felony count of indecent exposure in 1998 in Tehama County.Charlie kept the court cases from the family.And the court records that could have been a warning for Jacob Berlinghoff add to the mystery. They show the Shasta County case was dismissed and the Tehama County conviction was expunged from Charlie’s record. The documents don’t give any clues as to why.Secret Witness of Shasta County Inc. and an anonymous source last week each offered $5,000, $10,000 in all, for information leading to Charlie’s arrest and conviction.Anyone with information about Jean Berlinghoff’s whereabouts should contact Secret Witness at 243-2313 or the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office at 245-6540.

TomTerrific0420 wrote:

they believe Jean is at risk, but not in eminent danger.

---I humbly but loudly disagree. This animal has his prey and when cornered by the authorities may do what so many others have done in the past.

Have to agree with you Tom. Praying for Jean's safe return.

Signs to alert holiday travelers of missing Redding girl

updated November 24, 2010 at 2:33 p.m.

Mobile message signs along Northern California highways will be alerting motorists on the busiest travel holiday of the year to be on the lookout for a car carrying a missing Redding teen.

Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko announced today that the California Department of Transportation has agreed to post signs along highways north of Sacramento alerting motorists to keep an eye out for a car that 15-year-old Jean Marie Berlinghoff may be traveling in. She disappeared along with her uncle, Charles Berlinghoff, on Nov. 10.

Beginning today through the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, the signs will be placed along major roadways north of Sacramento, Bosenko said.

Though it’s not an Amber Alert, Bosenko said the signs — as well as fliers posted by state highway workers at rest stops — hopefully will help law enforcement agencies find Jean and her uncle.

Jean’s father, Jacob Berlinghoff, said he was grateful to law enforcement officials for keeping Jean’s disappearance in the public eye.

“I don’t know who had a hand in pulling this off, this almost Amber Alert thing,” Jacob Berlinghoff said today. “I think all the law enforcement agencies working on this probably bent some rules a little. Every eye out there counts at this point. Every bit of supports counts. They’ve got to be out there somewhere.”

Caltrans spokeswoman Denise Yergenson said that on Tuesday, highway officials spoke on a conference call with sheriff’s detectives and members of the California Highway Patrol. Highway officials agreed to post the signs, Yergenson said.

At least in the north state, “this has never been done for a missing person,” said Todd Chadd, CHP’s assistant chief for the Northern Division. “They have for Amber Alert, but they haven’t done it for this type of case.”

The signs will say:

Missing Child

’87 Gry Olds 4DR

Lic 2DNX546

Yergenson said the message would be replaced with normal traffic alerts, like tire chain control announcements or wreck notifications, should the situation warrant it.

The alert also will be sent out to the display screen of all of the state’s Lottery machines, Chadd said. And he said an updated flier has been circulated to 2,665 agencies around the country and faxed to the Los Angeles Police Department and all of the state’s sheriffs.

Sheriff's Sgt. John Hubbard said Jean's disappearance has "taken over" his office, and the case is weighing heavy on detectives. But the news that the alerts were going up was a huge morale booster for everyone involved, he said.

"It’s drained me personally. It's gotten to the point where you're edgy and tired," he said. "This charged my battery."

Charles “Charlie” Berlinghoff, 44, is wanted on a $100,000 Shasta County warrant charging him with keeping Jean Berlinghoff of Redding from her parents.

Charles Berlinghoff was convicted of indecent exposure in Shasta County in 1993, and he was charged with four counts of misdemeanor child molestation and one felony count of indecent exposure in 1998 in Tehama County.

The Shasta County case was dismissed and the Tehama County conviction was expunged from Charles Berlinghoff’s record. He wasn’t required to register as a sex offender and he’s not listed on California’s Megan’s Law website, which tracks those convicted of sex crimes.

Court documents don’t say why Charles Berlinghoff’s records were cleared.

Jean’s family members say Charles Berlinghoff kept his legal history secret from them, and it was only when Charles and Jean disappeared that they learned of his past crimes.

Family members said Charles Berlinghoff and Jean’s father nearly came to blows when Jacob Berlinghoff confronted his brother about what he believed were inappropriate overtures toward Jean.

They say Jean gave no indication she was planning to leave with Charles Berlinghoff, and she left all of her belongings at home.

Secret Witness of Shasta County Inc. and an anonymous source have each offered $5,000, $10,000 in all, for information leading to Charles Berlinghoff’s arrest and conviction.

Anyone with information about Jean’s whereabouts should contact Secret Witness at 243-2313 or the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office at 245-6540.

Bosenko has said members of his office spoke several times with California Highway Patrol officials about an Amber Alert during the days after Jean’s disappearance. But the sheriff and CHP officials have said that Bosenko’s office never established that Jean’s case matched the agency’s specific criteria for the alert.

Amber Alerts are a statewide system used to notify media outlets and the public only during cases in which an abducted child is in immediate and life-threatening danger, CHP officials say.

Since Jean may have run away from home, it wouldn’t be appropriate to issue an Amber Alert, CHP officials said. The officials said the strict criteria for Amber Alerts prevents overuse that would lull people into not taking them as seriously, hindering future searches for missing kids.

“I know law enforcement and everyone involved is doing everything they can to try to find that car and hopefully Jean,” Jacob Berlinghoff said. “This is two weeks, man. Tomorrow’s Thanksgiving. This has been really hard — not only us as a family — but also it’s been hard on the whole community and law enforcement too. I know they’re taking it kind of personal.”

Jacob Berlinghoff said he’s been on the phone with local officials such as Assemblyman Jim Nielsen, R-Gerber, who pledged to do what he could to help.

He’s also had support from some well-known families who have gone through what his has.

Jacob Berlinghoff said he’s talked with Mark Klaas, the father of Polly Klaas.

Polly, 12, was kidnapped at knife point from her mother’s home during a slumber party in Petaluma on Oct. 1, 1993. She was later strangled. Richard Allen Davis was convicted of her murder in 1996 and sentenced to death.

The Polly Klaas Foundation, an advocacy group for missing children that spearheads efforts to get states to implement laws like the Amber Alert system, has posted the Berlinghoff disappearance as the lead item on its website.

Jacob Berlinghoff said he also talks almost daily with Erin Runnion, the mother of 5-year-old Samantha Runnion, who was abducted and murdered in Southern California in 2002.

Jacob Berlinghoff said soon after Jean went missing he called Terry Smith, the father of Tera Smith, 16-year-old Central Valley High School homecoming princess who went missing under suspicious circumstances in 1998. She’s never been found.

He said Smith gave him words of encouragement and urged him to keep pressure on law enforcement agencies.

Hubbard said Jean's picture is next to his desk near the picture of Tera that's been hanging on the wall since her disappearance.

"This is an emotionally charged thing for the family and for us," Hubbard said. "We want her home safe. We want Charles put into custody."

Jacob Berlinghoff said he's seen the movies and heard stories of families whose children went missing. He now understands them all too well.

“I never thought I’d be living through it too,” he said.

http://www.redding.com/news/2010/nov/24/signs-alert-holiday-travelers-missing-redding-girl/

Law enforcement hopes to take advantage of the heavily traveled Thanksgiving holiday to alert motorists to be on the lookout for a vehicle believed to be involved in the kidnapping of a 15-year-old girl from Redding. The California Highway Patrol has asked Caltrans to place a message on electronic signs on all highways north of Sacramento with a description of the car. Enterprise High School sophomore Jean Marie Berlinghoff was last seen at about 2:30 p.m. Nov. 10 with her 44-year-old uncle, Charles Berlinghoff, of Los Angeles. A felony warrant has been issued for the man. The signs were to be activated on Wednesday and the message posted until the end of the weekend. Caltrans is also placing fliers at rest stops along highways. Jean Marie Berlinghoff is white, 5 feet, 2 inches tall, 120 pounds with black hair and blue eyes. She has small black gauges in both ears and a quarter-size birthmark above her right knee. Charles Berlinghoff is white, 5 feet, 11 inches tall, 185 pounds with brown, shaved hair and brown eyes. He has a large tattoo on his right shoulder of a tree with a raven in it. A news release from the Shasta County Sheriff's Office said that Charles Berlinghoff has previously made threats to law enforcement via e-mail, but did not elaborate. Charles Berlinghoff was last seen driving a 1987 gray Oldsmobile four-door sedan with the license plate of 2DNX546. A $10,000 reward is available in this case through the Shasta County SecretWitness Program. Anyone with information in the case can call the Shasta County Sheriff's Office at 530-245-6025.