Missing UPenn Student Found Dead

UPDATE: The body of a 19-year-old University of Pennsylvania student who went missing while home in California on break has been discovered. The body of 19-year-old Blaze Bernstein was found Tuesday in Borrego Park, Orange County, California. Click here for details.

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Law enforcement in California is searching for a 19-year-old University of Pennsylvania student who disappeared earlier this month when he was home for break. Blaze Bernstein, 19, was last seen at a Borrego Park in Foothill Ranch around 11 p.m. on Jan. 2, his family says.

That night, after a family meal, everyone went to bed and Bernstein left home in the company of a friend. He left without his wallet, glasses or medication, his family says.

Homicide Investigators from the Orange County Sheriff's Department in California now say they are actively following leads in an attempt to piece together the truth about what led to the disappearance of the missing 19-year-old. An on-foot search through the park and ranch area has concluded, and according to OCSD Public Information Officer Carrie Braun, there are numerous leads to follow.

What happened in that park? Was Blaze even there? And if so, where did he go? "The first step is to corroborate the stories of the witness at the scene," Braun told Patch.

Surveillance video, phone records, interviews are all being reviewed now by eight homicide investigators and one sergeant of the Orange County Sheriff's Department, according to Braun.

"We are still searching for Blaze as for a missing person," Braun said. Now, it has been seven days since anyone last saw Blaze Bernstein.

His parents have coordinated a full drone search of the area, and with the acres of hilly OC desert there was much to footage to review. Blaze's father, Gideon Bernstein, believes in the OCSD's work on his son's case.
"OCSD is doing an amazing job with the ongoing search for Blaze. We appreciate their incredible effort to get our son back," he told Patch.

Bernstein set up the Facebook page within hours of the reports that his son was missing, and the "Help Us Find Blaze Bernstein" page is being monitored for needles in the haystack, clues that might shed light on the student's whereabouts.

The community, both in Orange County and across the country, has rallied behind the family, sharing Blaze's image, prayers and support. As of this report, nearly 12,000 people across the country have joined in the effort to find Blaze and bring him home, including Orange County Supervisor Todd Spitzer.

"My high school friend Leigh Sklamberg Haikin contacted me about her friendship with the family," Spitzer wrote on the Help Us Find Blaze Bernstein Facebook page. "I will add $1,000 to a reward that helps our Sheriff's Dept. find Blaze and safely return him to his family and loved ones. As your County Supervisor I will do everything I can to protect our community."

What Happened To Blaze?

Blaze Bernstein left home on the night of Jan. 2, leaving home without his keys, wallet, eye glasses or medication, according to his family.

He left with a friend and went to the park at Borrego to meet someone. It is unknown to the public who that someone was. The friend left the car to use the restroom at the park, and didn't hear from Blaze Bernstein after that time.

The friend who was waiting for Bernstein at the time he went missing is not currently considered a suspect in the disappearance, according to Braun.

Reports also say that Blaze was using Snapchat to chat with a friend, an app that does not save past chats. Bernstein left the car for undisclosed reasons while the friend remained in the car. At around 11:30 p.m., Blaze walked off while his friend was in the restroom at the park, and he has not been seen since.
Everything else, from that point on to one week later, is under wraps from the OCSD. Sheriff's investigators are not sharing more detailed information as of this report.

Braun concluded, "We are really hoping to find him alive and return him to his family."

Blaze is white, with blue eyes and brown hair. He's 5 feet 8 inches and weighs 130 pounds. Anyone who knows his whereabouts is urged to call the sheriff's department at 714-647-7000.

With reporting by Ashley Ludwig, Patch staff

Photo, courtesy Gideon Blaze, Help Find Blaze Bernstein Facebook Page