The body of missing college student Blaze Bernstein was found Tuesday near Borrego Park in Orange County, California, and his death is being considered a homicide.
Bernstein was visiting family while on winter break from the University of Pennsylvania and went missing on the night of Jan. 2 after going to Borrego Park to meet an unknown person, CBS 2 reported.
Bernstein was dropped off at the park by a friend at 10:30 p.m. and walked into the wooded area on foot. When he didn’t return, the friend tried to text him, then left when he didn’t respond, CBS 2 reported. She came back to look for him later.
His phone was turned off at 11:30 p.m. after the location device stopped working, family friend and attorney Annee Della Donna told the news station.
Police searched the park for several days before finding Bernstein when heavy rainfall washed his body partially out of the brush, ABC News reported.
An autopsy was performed Wednesday, and officials are investigating and following active leads, CBS 2 reported. No suspects have been arrested yet, although a search warrant was served in Newport Beach on Tuesday night, ABC reported.
Bernstein’s parents said in a news conference they “want to see resolution” to the case, ABC reported.
Vice Provost for University Life at Penn, Dr. Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum, said Bernstein was set to be managing editor of the student-run food magazine on campus and wrote opinion columns for The Daily Pennsylvania as well as being a copy associate for the arts and culture section of the paper, ABC reported.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.