JEAN BERLINGHOFF - 15 yo (2010) - Redding CA

Update 6:47 p.m. -- According to officers at the Mears Ridge Road roadblock, a detective will be available to comment at approximately 7:30 p.m. tonight.Officers with the Shasta County Sheriff's Office are on scene Friday evening south of Dunsmuir near the Shasta-Siskiyou county line.Neighbor Phyllis Allen said the California Highway Patrol has put up a road block at Mears Ridge Road in Castella.According to Allen, people living in the area found a car they believe may be linked to the disappearance of 15-year-old Jean Marie Berlinghoff.



Jean Berlinghoff, 15 of Redding, has been missing since Wednesday, November 10.She is believed to be with Charles Berlinghoff, her 44-year-old uncle, who is a convicted sex offender.This development comes following a request from the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office to place a message on Changeable Message Signs in highways in the three northern California CalTrans districts.Messages have been up since Wednesday on Changeable Message Signs on highways in CalTrans Districts one, two, and three, which will encompass all counties north of Sacramento, to publicize the search for Jean Marie Charles Berlinghoff.According to officials, the message is not the same as an Amber Alert.

California Highway Patrol officers and Shasta County sheriff’s deputies converged on an area near Sims Road south of Dunsmuir this afternoon after finding the Oldsmobile that may have been carrying missing Redding teen Jean Marie Berlinghoff.Shasta County Sheriff’s Sgt. Jim Beaupre said detectives were going over the car tonight looking for evidence, like receipts or fingerprints, which that might indicate where the car had been and where Jean, 15, and possibly her uncle Charles Berlinghoff might be heading.The pair was last seen at the Redding home of Jean’s father on Nov. 10.“Obviously, we want to protect the vehicle,” Beaupre said.Later, Beaupre ordered dispatchers to alert Siskiyou County law enforcement agencies to keep an eye out for the pair possibly hitchhiking.Beaupre said a pastor who lives in the area reported the car to the sheriff’s department this afternoon. He didn’t identify the man.Beaupre declined to confirm neighbors’ reports that the car had been at the location for more than a week. He also declined to provide additional details.Karla Greene, who lives in the area, said she was walking along Mears Ridge Road just off Sims Road west of Interstate 5 near Castella a week ago Thursday when she spotted the car in a driveway leading up to a home.She said car had been off the driveway “smacked up” against a tree. She didn’t report the car to officials.Robert Allen, who lives on Sims Road, said that’s not unusual or surprising.“We find abandoned vehicles up here all the time, he said.Jean’s disappearance has been heavily covered by the Record Searchlight and local television stations, but Allen said people in his area don’t have newspaper delivery or receive television signals.It wasn’t until today that some of them spotted highway signs alerting drivers to Jean’s disappearance and a description of the car, he said.Those signs were activated by the California Department of Transportation on Wednesday.Reporters weren’t allowed to get close enough to see the car this evening.Around 4:20 p.m., sheriff’s deputies brought in a truck towing a trailer with three ATVs with snow tracks. There’s less than a foot of hard packed snow on the ground in the area, which is around 2,000 feet above sea level.The day Jean disappeared the high temperature in Redding was about 65 degrees and toward the end of that week it got even warmer, with temperatures into the mid-70s.But the balmy weather was followed by snowstorms in the mountains and for the last several days low temperatures have dropped well below freezing.Charles “Charlie” Berlinghoff, 44, is wanted on a $100,000 Shasta County warrant charging him with keeping Jean from her parents.Charles Berlinghoff has a history of sex crimes, but he’s not a registered sex offender and his convictions had been expunged or dismissed.Jean’s father, Jacob Berlinghoff, said he was handing out fliers at Walmart in Redding when he learned the car had been found. He arrived at the roadblock around 5:30 p.m. He’s hopeful that the car might be lead them to his daughter.“It’s been freezing up here,” Berlinghoff told a Record Searchlight reporter at the roadblock. “I hope they’ve been hiding in a cabin and keeping warm. ... I just hope Jean’s alive right now.”He has questions about how long the car’s been there. He said he plans to stay at the roadblock throughout the night.“I’ll be sitting up here as long as they are up here,” he said of the deputies. “This is the last place where there’s a clue where my daughter’s at.”Starting on Wednesday message signs along Interstate 5 began broadcasting a description of Charles Berlinghoff’s missing Oldsmobile.Oroville couple Tonya Zogg and Tim Gaines say they saw the alerts driving up from the Bay Area. They’re staying at a cabin on Mears Ridge Road.“It’s kind of weird we came all the way up to this cabin and they find the car right up the road here,” Gaines said.Zogg said she wanted to help, but knows there’s not much she can do.“It just makes me want to cry,” Zogg said. “You just feel so helpless.”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 his 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.

Uncle of missing Redding teen may have been seen

A day after finding the car involved in the case of missing Redding teen Jean Marie Berlinghoff, Shasta County sheriff’s deputies were in Castella on Saturday afternoon handing out fliers and talking to residents hoping to find the teen and her uncle.Jean, 15, and her uncle, Charles Berlinghoff, 44, were last seen at the Redding home of Jean’s father on Nov. 10.At least one Castella resident said she may have seen Charles Berlinghoff several days earlier.Ali Lawton, a 21-year-old clerk at Ammirati’s Market in Castella, said deputies arrived at her store Saturday.She said she told them a man with a shaved head and a braided goatee had loitered outside the store for nearly 2½ days last week trying to flag down a ride.She said the man looked eerily like the picture of Charles Berlinghoff on the flier that deputies handed her Saturday.She said she doesn’t remember seeing a girl with him.Jean’s father, Jacob Berlinghoff, who returned to Redding on Saturday afternoon after spending most of the night and the morning in Castella, said he’d heard similar reports in the area.“I haven’t heard too much about them hearing about Jean,” Jacob Berlinghoff said. “I could give a rat’s ass about him. He can rot in hell as far as I’m concerned. At this point if people can keep passing her face around and through fliers and Facebook and stuff, that’s going to be key to finding him. If we find him, we find Jean.”Messages left Saturday with sheriff’s deputies weren’t returned.Ammirati’s is visible from Interstate 5, and it’s near Castle Crags State Park.The store is a popular spot for hitchhikers as well as a stopover for hikers passing along the Pacific Crest Trail, which runs through the park.The man had come into the store at least once, and he told Lawton’s fellow clerk that he recently had been released from jail and was hoping to hitch a ride south, she said.The clerks didn’t see him leave with anyone, she said.On Friday, when Lawton learned that detectives had found Charles Berlinghoff’s 1987 Oldsmobile nearby, she said she and her co-worker began to get suspicious about the traveler.“We said, ‘This is kind of weird,’” she said. “The guy looks like him, and they just found the car.”Detectives found Charles Berlinghoff’s Oldsmobile in a snowy driveway off Mears Ridge Road in Castella on Friday afternoon.Neighbors told the Record Searchlight that they’d seen the car in the driveway at least a week earlier, but because they hadn’t seen news reports about Jean’s disappearance, they didn’t report it to authorities.The car’s discovery was first reported Friday afternoon on Redding.com.Although Jean’s disappearance has been covered heavily by Redding.com, the Record Searchlight and local television stations, most people in the rural area don’t have newspaper delivery or receive television signals.It was only when someone noticed a California Department of Transportation traffic sign broadcasting the car’s description that a neighbor recognized the car.The digital message signs were activated Wednesday.Julie Lee, a Caltrans spokeswoman, said the signs were shut off Friday night after the car was discovered.She said her agency hasn’t been contacted by authorities to start broadcasting another message.Detectives brought the car back to Redding on Friday night after crime scene crews spent several hours looking it over for clues to the pair’s whereabouts.Jacob Berlinghoff said detectives haven’t given any indication that the car was anything but abandoned.“There’s no signs of foul play at this point,” he said. “It just looks like it’s ditched. ... He could have been trying to hop a ride back down south.”Deputies went door to door Friday night looking to see if the pair was hiding in one of the homes and cabins in the area.Jacob Berlinghoff, who traveled from Redding to the roadblock that deputies set up Friday evening, said he later went back to Redding to grab his snow gear.He headed back up to Castella early Saturday morning and had been staying at a Castella resident’s home waiting to see if deputies were going to start a search.If so, he wanted to help.When he returned to Redding later in the day, he said he likely would go back up to see if there was anything he could do.“I have a hard time leaving places,” he said. “Even when I’m out passing out fliers, I think ‘What if the next guy who comes up knows something and he doesn’t get a flier?’”The Castella home where Jacob Berlinghoff was staying lost power, and snow fell heavily in the area through the night, leaving several inches covering the roads.“I hate right now that it’s snowing,” he said. “I hope she’s someplace warm.”Charles “Charlie” Berlinghoff is wanted on a $100,000 Shasta County warrant charging him with keeping Jean from her parents.Charles Berlinghoff has a history of sex crimes, but he’s not a registered sex offender, and his convictions have been expunged or dismissed.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 on Jean’s whereabouts should contact Secret Witness at 243-2319 or the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office at 245-6540.http://www.redding.com/news/2010/nov/27/missing-girls-uncle-may-have-been-seen/

http://www.redding.com/news/2010/nov/26/deputies-find-car-redding-teens-disappearance/

UPDATED: Car found in Redding teen's disappearance may have been abandoned a week ago
* By Damon Arthur, Ryan Sabalow
* Record Searchlight
* Posted November 26, 2010 at 4:59 p.m., updated November 26, 2010 at 11:17 p.m.


California Highway Patrol officers and Shasta County sheriff’s deputies converged on an area near Sims Road south of Dunsmuir this afternoon after finding the Oldsmobile that may have been carrying missing Redding teen Jean Marie Berlinghoff.

Shasta County Sheriff’s Sgt. Jim Beaupre said detectives were going over the car tonight looking for evidence, like receipts or fingerprints, which that might indicate where the car had been and where Jean, 15, and possibly her uncle Charles Berlinghoff might be heading. The car was towed about 8 p.m. back to Redding.

The car’s discovery this afternoon was first reported here on Redding.com.

The pair was last seen at the Redding home of Jean’s father on Nov. 10.

“Obviously, we want to protect the vehicle,” Beaupre said.

Later, Beaupre ordered dispatchers to alert Siskiyou County law enforcement agencies to keep an eye out for the pair possibly hitchhiking.

Beaupre said a pastor who lives in the area reported the car to the sheriff’s department this afternoon. He didn’t identify the man.

Beaupre declined to confirm neighbors’ reports that the car had been at the location for more than a week. He also declined to provide additional details.

Karla Greene, who lives in the area, said she was walking along Mears Ridge Road just off Sims Road west of Interstate 5 near Castella a week ago Thursday when she spotted the car in a driveway leading up to a home.

She said car had been off the driveway “smacked up” against a tree. She didn’t report the car to officials.

Robert Allen, who lives on Sims Road, said that’s not unusual or surprising.

“We find abandoned vehicles up here all the time, he said.

Jean’s disappearance has been heavily covered by the Record Searchlight and local television stations, but Allen said people in his area don’t have newspaper delivery or receive television signals.

It wasn’t until today that some of them spotted highway signs alerting drivers to Jean’s disappearance and a description of the car, he said.

Those signs were activated by the California Department of Transportation on Wednesday.

Reporters weren’t allowed to get close enough to see the car this evening.

Around 4:20 p.m., sheriff’s deputies brought in a truck towing a trailer with three ATVs with snow tracks. There’s less than a foot of hard packed snow on the ground in the area, which is around 2,000 feet above sea level.

The day Jean disappeared the high temperature in Redding was about 65 degrees and toward the end of that week it got even warmer, with temperatures into the mid-70s.

But the balmy weather was followed by snowstorms in the mountains and for the last several days low temperatures have dropped well below freezing.

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

Charles Berlinghoff has a history of sex crimes, but he’s not a registered sex offender and his convictions had been expunged or dismissed.

Jean’s father, Jacob Berlinghoff, said he was handing out fliers at Walmart in Redding when he learned the car had been found. He arrived at the roadblock around 5:30 p.m. He’s hopeful that the car might be lead them to his daughter.

“It’s been freezing up here,” Berlinghoff told a Record Searchlight reporter at the roadblock. “I hope they’ve been hiding in a cabin and keeping warm. ... I just hope Jean’s alive right now.”

He has questions about how long the car’s been there. He said he plans to stay at the roadblock throughout the night.

“I’ll be sitting up here as long as they are up here,” he said of the deputies. “This is the last place where there’s a clue where my daughter’s at.”

Starting on Wednesday message signs along Interstate 5 began broadcasting a description of Charles Berlinghoff’s missing Oldsmobile.

Oroville couple Tonya Zogg and Tim Gaines say they saw the alerts driving up from the Bay Area. They’re staying at a cabin on Mears Ridge Road.

“It’s kind of weird we came all the way up to this cabin and they find the car right up the road here,” Gaines said.

Zogg said she wanted to help, but knows there’s not much she can do.

“It just makes me want to cry,” Zogg said. “You just feel so helpless.”

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 his 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.

The search for Jean Berlinghoff ended Sunday afternoon after investigators didn't find any clues at Mears Ridge Road where Charlie Berlinghoff’s car was found Friday.About 50 volunteers did a 360 degree search around the area where Charlie Berlinghoff’s car was found. The law enforcement volunteers started searching from Mears Ridge Road and continued to the Upper Sacramento River on the east side, and a steep canyon on the west side.Officials also visited one final cabin on Mears Ridge Road that they could not get to earlier ecause of the weather. They didn't find anything there either.Jean Berlinghoff’s dad, Jake, arrived at the scene early in the morning and stayed until the search ended around 2:00 p.m.Detective John Hubbard says that finding the missing teen has become personal and takes its toll.“Physically you just keep going, mentally you get tired," said Detective Hubbard. "You get worn out because you’re trying to figure out what’s his next move, where he is. You don’t get any rest. You go home and wake up at 3:00 a.m. and you go, am I missing something?”Officials were able to rule out a possible siting of Charles Berlinghoff at the Ammiratis Market. Workers at the market told investigators on Saturday that they think they saw Charles. But, according to Detective Hubbard, a US Forest Ranger had spoken with the man, people thought was Charles, but told officials on Sunday, it wasn't Charles.When asked about evidence found in Charles Berlinghoff’s car, Detective Hubbard declined to comment.Anyone with information on Jean’s whereabouts should contact Secret Witness at 243-2313 or the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office at 245-6540.

Investigators are now saying, finding the vehicle believed to be involved in the disappearance of a Shasta County teen, might prove to be a set back.15-year-old Jean Berlinghoff has been missing for 20 days. She's believed to be with her 44-year-old uncle, Charles Berlinghoff.Last Friday afternoon, Charles' 1987 Oldsmobile was found, abandoned on Mears Ridge Road in Castella, south of Dunsmuir.Investigators with the Shasta County Sheriff's office say two people visiting the area called it in after seeing CalTrans message boards alerting the public to Jean's disappearance and vehicle information.When investigators arrived on scene, they sectioned off a wide-spread area surrounding the car. The car was towed late Friday night and a search, including about 50 people, was conducted of the area on Sunday morning.Investigators are not releasing any information on what was inside the car.Detective Hubbard with the Shasta County Sheriff's office says, finding the car is a double-edged sword. Because the car has been found, it makes it harder for people to identify Jean and Charles, but good because it could lead to a break in the case."Has Jean Marie been in the car?" asked Detective Hubbard. "There are things in that car that we will do forensics on. If we can put her in that car, that's another plus too. We are pushing the envelope on anything we can get."On Monday afternoon, Jean's father, Jake Berlinghoff and a group of his friends and family began a 48 hour stake out of the TA truck stop on Knighton Road in Redding. Jake believes, without a car, the pair might be hitch-hiking.Even if this is just a possibility, Jake wants to make sure all truckers and drivers leave the area with information on his missing daughter, Jean and the man she might be with, Charles.Friends and family will work in four hour shifts, even threw out the night, to get flyers out to drivers.

The uncle of a missing teen, Charles Berlinghoff, was convicted of a sex crime in Tehama County over ten years ago, making him a convicted sex offender. However, he is not required to be on the Megan’s law website.There is a certain class of sexual offenders that don’t show up on the public site. These offenders mainly have misdemeanor charges, including indecent exposure, battery, and certain molestation charges. Their criminal information only passed along to local law enforcement the community where the sex offender lives. According to Gregg Cohen, Tehama County’s District Attorney, Berlinghoff’s conviction classifies him as one of these less serious offenders.Cohen told KRCR Berlinghoff’s 1998 conviction did not involve molestation. In his case, three girls were walking to school when they saw Berlinghoff masturbating inside his home. His front door was open and he made eye contact with the girls and said hello.When the girls got to school, they told school officials who called the Corning Police. After the incident, two more girls came forward saying a similar situation happened to them.Most sex crimes that are felonies require the offender to be listed on Megan’s Law, but in certain cases a judge can take the offender off the website. However, sex offenders who are granted exclusion from the Internet web site must still register.

The father of a missing Shasta County teen says he's got a guardian angel in Marc Klaas.Jake Berlinghoff says Klaas' support and efforts in helping him find his 15-year-old daughter, Jean Berlinghoff has kept him going strong.Jean has been missing for three weeks and is believed to be with Charles Berlinghoff, her 44-year-old uncle, who is a convicted sex offender.Jake says because Klaas has been in his shoes, his words mean a lot. Klaas' daughter was Polly Klaas, who was kidnapped and murdered in 1993.Jake says Klaas helped him get permission to pass out flyers about his missing daughter at a truck stop in Redding for 48 straight hours. He also helped Jake get in touch with a private investigator, just in case he was interested in conducting a search for Jean on his own.Jake says Klaas is also helping him get an interview with Nancy Grace on Wednesday evening.Jake says Klaas' help makes him feel like someone understands and is watching out for him.

Castella, Calif. —
Redding’s Jake Berlinghoff hasn’t seen or heard from his 15 year old daughter, Jean, in two weeks now. Though he doesn’t know where she is, the latest clue to her whereabouts – the car in which she and her uncle, 44 year old Charles Berlinghoff were traveling – was found near Castella last week.

“She was last seen at home on Nov. 10 at about 2:45 in the afternoon,” Jake Berlinghoff said during a phone interview on Tuesday.

Berlinghoff said he is “110 percent positive” Jean is with his brother, Charles, because no one has seen or heard from either of them since that day.

“It’s 20 days into this, and still no one has heard from her,” Berlinghoff said with a hitch in his voice. “We really need to bring her home.”

Charles “Charlie” Berlinghoff is wanted on a $100,000 Shasta County warrant charging him with detaining or concealing Jean from her parents. Charles has a history of sex crimes, but he’s not a registered sex offender and child molestation charges out of Tehama County in 1998 were expunged from his record.

Jake Berlinghoff said he believes Charles must have manipulated Jean into leaving with him, or made some sort of threat. “She would do anything to protect me or her sister,” he said.

“What [Charles] did was manipulate the entire family,” said Jake Berlinghoff, who, at one point, had no contact with his brother for 10 years. “We didn’t know of his sex offender past. Lately, he was bringing his two daughters around, and we thought he was doing well.”

On the afternoon of his daughter’s disappearance, Berlinghoff said he discovered two text messages on her cell phone that had come from Charles.

“They weren’t suggestive, but he called her ‘baby,’” he said. “It make me uneasy... I questioned him about it, he got defensive and he gave me the excuse that’s how he talks to his own kids.”

Jake said despite Charles’ explanation, the text messages “didn’t sit well” with him.

Charles, who plays bass in heavy metal bands, was scheduled to perform in Los Angeles on Nov. 13, Berlinghoff said.

“His music was very important to him. I figured he’d be going back to LA, and then I could talk to Jean. Unfortunately, I never got that chance.”

Jean was last seen by her other uncle at about 2:45 p.m. at her Redding home. When her uncle talked with her, Jean said she was waiting to talk to her dad.

When her uncle came home 10 minutes later after picking up his children from preschool, Jean was gone.

She left without any of her personal belongings, including clothing, a jacket, her cell phone or makeup, which is “very unlike her,” Berlinghoff said.

On Friday, Nov. 26, Charles’ gray 1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass was found parked in a turnout along Mears Ridge Road, which splits off Sims Road about five miles south of Castella.

An intensive search of the area on Sunday by the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office yielded no results, Berlinghoff said.

“The car still had gas in its tank and the doors were locked,” which may indicate that it was dumped. About five or six inches of snow had accumulated on the car, which means it could have been parked there for some time, he added.

The Oldsmobile was towed back to Redding, and authorities are now performing forensic tests on the car, Berlinghoff said.

“Now they could be anywhere... they could be in the Mount Shasta area. They could be hitchhiking, posing as father and daughter... there are so many places they could be, especially in such a large wilderness area. Plus there are so many vacation homes where he could be hiding her.”

Since the search was called off on Sunday, Berlinghoff has been busy organizing a volunteer group to man truck stops and pass out fliers.

He said he speaks with detectives handling the case at least three times a day, and has also been in contact with Marc Klaas, the founder of the Polly Klaas Foundation.

Berlinghoff said Jean’s disappearance has hit him hard, especially because he and his daughter were so close.

“I never thought anything like this would happen,” he said. “People keep telling me to be optimistic, and I am, but I’m also trying to be realistic. I’ve followed other stories like this, and when a sex offender takes a child, things start to get ugly the longer they’re missing.”

Jean’s story will be aired on the Nancy Grace show today, Dec. 1, at 5 p.m. on CNN. The footage can also be found at cnn.com.

Jean’s friends and supporters have also been calling Oprah and large other media outlets to get the story out there.

At the time of her disappearance, Berlinghoff believes his daughter was wearing blue jeans, Vans and a light multicolored sweater. She may also have a black shirt with her, he said.

There is a $10,000 reward being offered by Secret Witness of Shasta County and an anonymous donor for information leading to Jean’s recovery.

Charles Berlinghoff is 5 feet, 11 inches tall, weighs approximately 185 pounds with dark brown hair and brown eyes.
Jean is 5’2” tall, with black hair and blue eyes.

A website with more information and photos of Jean and Charles can be found at www.findjean.org.

Anyone with information about Jean Berlinghoff's whereabouts should contact Shasta County Secret Witness at 243-2319 or the Shasta County Sheriff's Office at 245-6540.
http://www.mtshastanews.com/features/x1145368830/Search-for-missing-teen-Jean-Berlinghoff-takes-a-local-turn

The story of a missing Redding teenager was featured for a second time on CNN’s HLN channel. 15 year old Jean Berlinghoff disappeared on November 10th. She's believed to be with her 44 year old uncle, Charles Berlinghoff. Their story was discussed Wednesday on the “ISSUES with Jane Velez-Mitchell” show. Berlinghoff now has a $100,000 warrant out for his arrest. Jean's story was broadcast on "Nancy Grace" two weeks ago. Shasta County Secret Witness, Inc., and an anonymous donor are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to Berlinghoff’s arrest and conviction. Anyone with information about Jean Berlinghoff’s whereabouts should call the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office at 245-6540.

http://www.khsltv.com/content/localnews/story/Missing-Teens-Story-on-National-TV/DoNUeGkfCUev6-MRZmx7lw.cspx

The Shasta County Sheriff's Office is planning a second search for a missing teen.Jean Berlinghoff, 15-years-old of Redding, has been missing for 24 days and investigators believe she is still with her 44-year-old uncle, Charles Berlinghoff.Sgt. James Beaupre said Friday afternoon that a date for the search hasn't been set yet, but it is in the works. He said it will be a search into the mountains of Shasta County and will require squads and snow shoes; however, these are the only details he was able to provide.Last Sunday, the first search commenced after authorities found Charles' 1987 Oldsmobile, abandoned on a rural road in Castella, south of Dunsmuir. They weren't able to find anything, but investigators say every lead is important.Sgt. Beaupre said the office has all eight investigators working on the Berlinghoff case and they look into every lead. He said the fresher the tip, the more likely it could lead to something.Jake Berlinghoff, Jean's dad, says he also gets bombarded with tips, but that he passes them along to investigators.

A group of militia men hit the mountains of Shasta County searching for a missing teenager.15-year-old Jean Berlinghoff has been missing for 25 days, and investigators believe she is still with her 44-year-old uncle, Charles Berlinghoff. Jake Berlinghoff, Jean's father, says the Northern California State Militia contacted him, telling them they were volunteering their weekend to search for his daughter.The crew, of about a dozen, went into Castella, south of Dunsmuir, where Charles' car was found last Friday. A search was conducted of the area, but nothing was found, so the militia group went back in for a second search.Their search began at about 9 a.m. on Saturday and will continue on Sunday.

As a north state militia group took to the snow for the second day today in search of a missing Redding teen, her disappearance received exposure on another national media outlet – "America’s Most Wanted."The Northern California State Militia began searching the snowy area near Mears Ridge Road near Castella on Saturday for Jean Marie Berlinghoff, 15, who has not been seen since Nov. 10. and is believed to be with her uncle, Charles “Charlie” Berlinghoff, 44. Charlie Berlinghoff’s 1987 Oldsmobile was found abandoned in the wooded area Nov. 26, and he is wanted on a $100,000 felony warrant for keeping Jean from her parents.Jean Berlinghoff’s disappearance has already been covered by CNN talk show hosts Nancy Grace and Jane Velez-Mitchell on their national television shows, and now Charlie Berlinghoff is listed as a “fugitive” on the "America’s Most Wanted" website.Jean’s father, Jacob Berlinghoff, 33, said today that he hopes the additional Internet exposure will create some new leads in his daughter’s disappearance.In the meantime, Jacob Berlinghoff is relying on the assistance of the militia group, and members are searching out caves, mines and cemeteries in the Mears Ridge Road area for his daughter or Charlie Berlinghoff, who acquaintances say has a fascination with all three.“I don’t know a whole lot about him,” Jacob Berlinghoff said of his long-estranged brother. “That’s something I picked up from talking to people who know him.”Rather than searching with the militia group, Jacob Berlinghoff said he returned today to a Knighton Road truck stop where he’s been distributing fliers with Jean’s and Charlie’s pictures nearly every day.“I usually talk to detectives easily about three times a day and figure out what they’re doing,” he said. “And then I go to the truck stop, and that’s about my life.”But soon he will seek out a new spot to reach more travelers who may have seen his daughter, he said.“I’ve basically saturated these truckers, I think, with it,” he said of the flier. “I’m going to figure out a way to get the flier in the other truckers’ hands.”Jacob Berlinghoff said he’s also in the process of organizing a fundraiser to increase the $10,000 reward currently offered for tips on finding Jean. Shasta County Secret Witness Inc. and an anonymous source each pledged $5,000 for information leading to Charles Berlinghoff’s arrest and conviction.Anyone with information about Jean Berlinghoff’s whereabouts should contact Secret Witness at 243-2319 or the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office at 245-6540.“Every eye counts,” Jacob Berlinghoff said. “Every person out there looking counts.”He said he will likely have a date and location for the fundraiser finalized on Tuesday.

Second Warrant Issued in Missing Teen Case


Shasta County Sheriff's Sgt. John Hubbard won't say what led to a second $100,000 warrant issued today in the case of missing Redding teen Jean Marie Berlinghoff."For certain charges ... victims have the right to confidentiality, and that's what we have going on here," Hubbard said, adding later that although the department's investigation has clearly led to additional evidence, "nothing striking has come up."Charles Berlinghoff, 44, of Los Angeles, is wanted on suspicion of keeping Jean Berlinghoff, his 15-year-old niece, from her parents. The two have been missing since Nov. 10. Jean's father, Jacob Berlinghoff, has said they disappeared after he confronted his brother with his suspicions that the uncle and niece shared an inappropriate relationship.The case has not become a murder investigation, Hubbard said today, but he could not comment on whether there is evidence of a sex-related crime prompting the second warrant."I cannot answer that," Hubbard said.Charles Berlinghoff's car was found on a road near Dunsmuir, but further searches of the area have not found more signs of the missing pair, Hubbard said today.Jean's disappearance has received national attention on the "America's Most Wanted" and "Nancy Grace" TV shows, yielding "loads and loads" of tips and reported sightings as far away as Kentucky, Tennessee, Washington, Oregon and Colorado, but none have proved fruitful, Hubbard said.That is frustrating for detectives, but the abundance of potential leads and added workload is not an issue, he said."I would rather have those come in," said Hubbard of the tips. He remains hopeful that the right tip will bring Jean Berlinghoff home safely. "It only takes one."Click here to read previous stories about the Berlinghoff case published on anewscafe.com.

A missing 15-year-old girl was found safe in San Francisco today, and police arrested her uncle who allegedly took her from her Redding-area home last month, San Francisco police and the Shasta County Sheriff's Office said. Jean Marie Berlinghoff went missing from her home on Nov. 10 and was believed to be with her uncle, Charles Berlinghoff, 34, who is from the San Bernandino area of Southern California, according to the sheriff's office. A $100,000 arrest warrant had been issued for Charles Berlinghoff for allegedly keeping his niece from her parents. Jean Marie was found safe and her uncle was arrested in the Mission District this morning, San Francisco police Officer Albie Esparza said. Esparza said more information on the arrest would be available later this afternoon.

First Christmas came early for the family of Jean Berlinghoff, the Redding teen who'd been missing for a month, after a cousin spotted Jean walking with Charles Berlinghoff - her uncle - the subject of an intense manhunt for weeks.Charles Berlinghoff was arrested on two felony warrants related to Jean's disappearance from her Redding home Nov. 10. The pair's disappearance resulted in a tireless search by law enforcement, family and citizens.Second came a gift to Shasta County law enforcement Saturday night when Shasta County Superior Court Judge Stephen H. Baker set bail at $1 million for Charles Berlinghoff.Baker set the bail just minutes after the Shasta County Sheriff's department press conference that gave details about the arrest of Charles Berlinghoff in San Francisco where he and Jean Berlinghoff were spotted this afternoon in a retail store by Jean's cousin, Jennifer Berlinghoff, who called 911."Jennifer was shopping in downtown San Francisco, and walking when she says, 'That looks like Charles and Jean,' said John E. Hubbard, Detective Sgt. for Shasta C0unty Sheriff's office.Hubbard said Bay Area law enforcement responded to Jennifer's 911 call, and Charles Berlinghoff was arrested "without incident" after giving a false name, but that he was easily identified through tattoos and other physical characteristics.Jean Berlinghoff was taken into protective custody, Hubbard said, though he couldn't speak to Jean Berlinghoff's reaction, or other details regarding Berlinghoff's arrest."I'm as anxious to hear what happened as anyone," he said.Most likely he won't need to wait long, because three Shasta County Sheriff Department detectives were already on their way to San Francisco, one via plane; the other two sped there via California Highway Patrol.Regarding Charles Berlinghoff's bail, Hubbard said the Sheriff's Department requested the enhanced bail."We believe Charles Berlinghoff is a flight risk," Hubbard said. "And he's obviously eluded us for 30 days."Hubbard gave credit to law enforcement, his office and citizens for work done to find the Berlinghoff pair. He sighed heavily when he spoke about Jean Berlinghoff, the teen who'd been missing for a month."Thank God, thank God," Hubbard said."This is just a huge, huge relief for everyone. This is Christmas. What a gift."

Jean Berlinghoff Reunited With Family

UPDATED: 10:44 am PST December 12, 2010


REDDING, Calif. -- After missing for more than a month, 15-year-old Jean Berlinghoff was reunited with family members Sunday around 8:00 a.m.According to the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office she was released into the custody of her parents in Redding.Charles Berlinghoff is currently in custody in San Francisco and will eventually be transported to the Shasta County Jail. The Shasta County Sheriff's Office told KRCR he is being held in lieu of $1,000,000 bail.The Shasta County Sheriff’s Office is continuing with follow-up interviews to complete the investigation.
http://www.krcrtv.com/news/26107180/detail.html

The family of Jean Berlinghoff, 15-years-old of Redding, says Jean is resting and enjoying her day with them after being missing for over a month.The family was reunited Sunday morning at the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office after which they spent most the afternoon at home.Jake Berlinghoff, father of Jean, said she wasn't ready to speak with the media. He said that Jean is in good spirits and the first thing she ate was a chocolate cupcake.Jake says he is grateful for the entire community for their help in bringing Jean home. Morgan Ostergren, is one of Jean's closest friends. When her mom told her Jean had been found she thought it was just another rumor.“When my mom said Jean was found I was just like oh my God," said Morgan. "I couldn't feel my fingers, I was shaking. We are just so ecstatic she's back.”Jake plans on hosting a celebration next Saturday featuring Roller Derby Girls at the Big League Dreams. A $5 donation will go to an organization to help kind missing kids.The event will be from 7:00p.m. to 10:00p.m.Jean was found in San Francisco on Saturday afternoon with her uncle, Charles Berlinghoff and another unidentified man. The San Francisco Police Department put Jean into protective custody, while Charles was arrested. He will eventually be transported to the Shasta County Jail.Investigators haven't been able to tell us anything about the unidentified man, expect that he was with the two and is from Oregon.The Shasta County Sheriff’s Office is continuing with follow-up interviews to complete the investigation.

(CNN) -- A California man who spent a month of the run with his 15-year-old niece is now in a San Francisco jail, and the girl back is home with her parents, according to police and relatives. Charles David Berlinghoff, 44, was caught this weekend, four weeks after the Shasta County Sheriff's office urged the public and law enforcement to be on the lookout for him. At that time, the police issued statements indicating his niece, Jean Marie Berlinghoff, was with him and "is believed to be endangered." The girl, meanwhile, was reunited with her family at 8 a.m. Sunday, according to police. Her father called the meeting very emotional, full of hugs and tears. "I was able to put my arms around her and hug her," Jake Berlinghoff told HLN's Jane Velez-Mitchell on Monday. "Amazing is an understatement. I can't put to words how happy I was to see her again, and how happy her mom was to see her." That feeling was the opposite of the parents' feelings in previous weeks, while their daughter's whereabouts and condition were unknown. Charles Berlinghoff had been in and out of his extended family's life, even losing regular contact for a full decade, his brother told HLN.. In 1998, Charles Berlinghoff pleaded no-contest to one count of child molestation -- part of a deal in which three other child molesting counts were dropped, according to California court documents. But his brother said that the extended family didn't know about that sex offense, a charge that the judge in 2002 expunged from his record. On November 12, the Shasta County Sheriff's Office issued a statement saying that Jean Marie and her uncle were missing, having last been seen in North Redding, California, traveling together in a 1987 gray Oldsmobile. A felony arrest warrant for child stealing -- when a person entices, takes or hides a child from his or her lawful guardian -- was put out soon thereafter for Charles Berlinghoff. Police said that an additional arrest warrant, details of which were not released, was obtained December 6 by Shasta County detectives. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children got involved, helping publicize information about the girl and her alleged abductor on transit and other signs in northern California. A $10,000 reward was offered for information leading to Jean Marie's recovery and her uncle's arrest, and authorities were on the look-out for the car. While on the run, Charles and Jean Marie spent much of their time staying in homeless shelters and eating in soup kitchens, Jake Berlinghoff said. Their run ended when one of Jean Marie's cousins, who lives in San Francisco, spotted the pair Saturday while shopping for a jacket, said Jake Berlinghoff. The cousin called 911 and trailed the pair from a distance before police arrived.
Jake Berlinghoff said that he was "ecstatic" when he got word that Charles was in custody and his teenage daughter was safe, adding that a tearful Jean Marie told him "she was happy to be home."http://edition.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/12/13/california.missing.teen/

The relieved parents of Redding teenager Jean Marie Berlinghoff said the 15-year-old is happy to be home and with family again. And though plenty of questions still linger about what happened during the 31 days she was missing and with her uncle Charles Berlinghoff, 44, of Los Angeles, a few details are coming forth.
Not long after the two disappeared on Nov. 10, they abandoned the 1987 Oldsmobile they were driving near Sims Road south of Dunsmuir. They apparently jumped on a boxcar and rode a train north to Portland, said Shasta County Sheriff Detective John Hubbard.“They were pretty much living from soup kitchen to soup kitchen until they ran into this gentleman who said he had to go to San Francisco, and they hitched a ride with him,” said Hubbard on Monday afternoon.The two likely spent most of the time they were missing in the Portland area before traveling with the man to San Francisco. They were spotted on Saturday in the Mission District of San Francisco by Jean Berlinghoff’s cousin Jennifer Berlinghoff. Jennifer Berlinghoff called 911 and followed the pair for a short time and later identified them to police. San Francisco police arrested Charles Berlinghoff on two felony warrants related to Jean's disappearance and he remains in custody in the city on $1 million bail. He is expected to be transported to Redding this week, where he will be arraigned and charged.
The man who gave Jean and Charles a ride to San Francisco likely didn’t know they were wanted by police or that they were the focus of an intense search that had attracted national media attention, said Hubbard. Hubbard said the man’s name would like be released by Tuesday.
“My (investigators) think he was pretty honest and he had no idea (there was a search for them),” Hubbard said. “It’s a big sigh of relief, but now the work comes into play. We’ll try to find out if anyone helped them, how did they get from here to there. Everything that went on is important. Obviously we want to find out if any kind of abuse whatsoever took place.”
Though plenty of questions still linger, Jean’s parents say that for now, the girl needs rest.
“Right now she’s just relaxing, spending time with her family and taking one day at a time,” said mother Heather Vega. “We’re very grateful to the community, and as soon as we get all the facts straight, we’re going to let people know more (information).”
Vega added that Jean was very happy to be home and “very much missing her family during the entire time.”
Though he knows people would like to know more about the case, Jean’s father Jacob Berlinghoff said the focus is on letting the situation calm down for now.
“Right now the effort is to protect Jean,” Jacob Berlinghoff said. “We haven’t even really talked a whole lot to her about it. There’s a lot of speculation and I know that’s human nature. But we’re just so glad she’s home and safe.
“We haven’t shut anyone out and we’ll share details as we go. There’s a long way to go as far as Jean’s healing process,” he said.
Both parents thanked law enforcement, the community and the media for the effort in locating their daughter.
Jacob Berlinghoff said he’s heard all kinds of rumors related to the case, including that he staged the entire thing to get media attention. He said that the fact that Jean's own cousin spotted her was pretty miraculous, but he also has a huge family and everyone was on the lookout.
“I told Jennifer she probably had better chances of winning the lottery than spotting Jean,” Jake Berlinghoff said. “She was in the right place at right time. We got extremely lucky and found her. Any parent who loses a kid is going to do anything they can to find them.”
Though he doesn’t know much in the way of details, Jacob Berlinghoff said he doesn’t think his daughter knew she was the subject of such an intense search.
In regard to his brother, Jacob Berlinghoff added that “obviously there was some manipulation going on. He had her for 31 days and my understanding is he did not let her out of his sight. I think that says a lot.”
When Jean reunited with her parents and family there were a lot of tears of joy, Jacob Berlinghoff said.
“Jean said yesterday that she’s really glad to be home,” he said. “It’s an amazing feeling, absolutely amazing. Seeing her, I can’t put together words for that. Right now the focus is on Jean and helping get her into a good process of mental health.”

Poster's Note: Sadly, this story has taken a very distasteful turn...

The father of a Shasta County teen who went on the run with her uncle
for over a month, has been arrested for sexual battery. 33-year-old
Jacob Berlinghoff was arrested last night on a felony warrant of lewd
and lascivious acts with a child under 14, annoying a child and sexual
battery.


The Shasta County Sheriff's Office says the arrest stems from
an incident in the fall of 2008. No other information was given. Jacob's
15-year-old daughter went missing from her Redding home last month, and
was found with her uncle, Charles Berlinghoff in San Francisco two and
half weeks ago. He faces nearly 100 felony charges, including 30 counts
of incest. We will bring you more information on Jacob Berlinghoff's
arrest as soon as it become available.

What? This is a strange twist. Unbelievable!

REDDING, Calif. -- The stunning new developments involving Jacob Berlinghoff‘s arrest on sex related charges surprised his ex-wife Heather Vega. “It is very confusing and devastating. I found out last night and I’m still numb,” said Vega.KRCR
also went to the Shasta County Sheriff’s office to get information on
how long they had been investigating Jacob Berlinghoff or what led to
these charges but law enforcement officers would not give additional
details.Berlinghoff’s been accused of lewd acts with a child
under 14-years old and sexual battery. His bail has been set at 50,000
dollars.

http://www.krcrtv.com/news/26270992/detail.html

Jacob Daniel Berlinghoff, who was arrested Thursday night on
suspicion of sex-related charges, has been released from the Shasta
County jail after his $50,000 bail was posted, a jail spokesman said
Sunday morning.

The 33-year-old Berlinghoff, the father of a 15-year-old Redding girl
who went missing for 31 days with her uncle, was released Christmas
Eve, the jail spokesman said.

Berlinghoff was arrested at 9:25 p.m. Thursday on suspicion of sexual
battery, annoying a child and lewd and lascivious behavior with a child
under 14.

The arrest stems from an incident in fall 2008, but Sgt. Jim Beaupre
of the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office has declined to discuss specifics
about the case.

Meanwhile, Berlinghoff’s brother, Charles David Berlinghoff, 44, of
Los Angeles remains in custody in Shasta County jail in lieu of $1.6
million bail.

Charles Berlinghoff faces 96 felony counts, including 30 counts of
lewd acts with a minor, 30 counts of incest and 15 counts of oral
copulation, in connection with the Nov. 10 abduction of his ­15-year-old
niece.

They were found Dec. 11 in San Francisco.

A Jan. 31 arraignment date has been set in Shasta County Superior
Court for Jacob Daniel Berlinghoff of Redding, 33, who was arrested
Thursday night on suspicion of sex-related charges.

Berlinghoff, who was released from the Shasta County jail on
Christmas Eve after his $50,000 bail was posted, is the father of a
15-year-old Redding girl who went missing for 31 days with her uncle,
Charles David Berlinghoff, 44, of Los Angeles.

Jacob Berlinghoff is to be arraigned on one felony count of lewd and
lascivious behavior with a child under 14, as well as single misdemeanor
counts of annoying a child and sexual battery, according to electronic
Superior Court records.

Meanwhile, Charles Berlinghoff, who remains in custody in Shasta
County jail in lieu of $1.6 million bail, is scheduled to return to
Superior Court on Wednesday for further arraignment on his cases.

He faces 96 felony counts, including 30 counts of lewd acts with a
minor, 30 counts of incest and 15 counts of oral copulation, in
connection with the Nov. 10 abduction of his 15-year-old niece.

They were both found Dec. 11 in San Francisco.