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

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