The police are currently reviewing hours of video tape from the Mexican border and working with Mexican law enforcement as they continue to investigate the disappearance of a long-time San Clemente family who recently moved to Fallbrook, a police spokesman said.
The McStays’ car was towed as an abandoned vehicle from a parking lot in San Ysidro just blocks from the border on Feb. 8. Two car seats for their missing children Gianni Giuseppe, 4, and Joseph Mateo, 3, were also in the car, said police, who conducted the first welfare check on the McStays on Feb. 15 after being contacted by a worried family member.
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department has also partnered with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children as they search for Joseph McStay, 40, his wife Summer, 43, and their sons. Robert Acosta, the center’s manager for the case, said there is a chance the family may have walked into Tijuana and did not return, and that the theory is shared by law enforcement. The center has created a flier with a large header that reads “Endangered Missing” and features photos of the family. The flier has been sent out to fax machines within a 66 mile radius of the Fallbrook home and the center has asked stores in California, Oregon, Washington, Utah, Arizona and Nevada such as Walmart to post it. The center has also asked law enforcement connections in Tijuana to help with the case, Acosta said.
San Diego police are also working with Mexican law enforcement on the case, said Lt. Dennis Brugos, a police spokesman.
The McStays had lived in a small bungalow in San Clemente for years before moving to a four-bedroom house on a cul-de-sac in Fallbrook in December. Joseph McStay, owned a water fountain and accessories company, in San Clemente since 1996, according to the business’ Web site.
Police have pulled phone records and personal and business financial records for the case, Brugos said. When asked if the surveillance tapes from the border showed any indication that the family was there, Brugos said: “We are still reviewing them.”
“We haven’t drawn any conclusions,” he said. “We are looking over and analyzing what we have.”
But friends continue to say they don’t think the family would have gone to the Mexican border. If they did, it would have been done involuntarily, they say.
“I don’t think Summer would have taken her kids close to the border because of the danger factor,” said Jesi Silveria, an Irvine photographer who has known Summer since the 1990s. Summer McStay was very protective of her sons and would rarely hire a babysitter for fear of the children’s safety, Silveria said.
“We’ve known them for so many years. That would be very weird,” she said
The last time the family was heard from was Feb. 4, according to police. When asked if any records showed the family using their phone after that date, Brugos said one record may show a call on Feb. 5, but that police are still looking into it.
Friends said they have been using their Facebook pages to post news stories about the McStays and encourage others to do the same. Michael McStay, Joseph’s brother, created a Web site called www.McStayFamily.com for people to see photos of the family and share information. To view family videos, visit Joseph McStay’s YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/jbmcstay#p/a/A14EC217F6F8A59C/2/2O9gQM3RZQ4.
“We want to keep them at the front of people’s minds,” said Silveria, who was a bridesmaid at the McStay’s 2007 wedding. Several of her most recent Facebook posts are about the McStays. Family members have created a Facebook group called “Find the McStay Family,” which currently has about two dozen members.
Friends held a vigil last week at a Laguna Niguel park to pray for the family’s return. After a candlelit prayer service, a group of Joseph McStay’s friends played soccer, which is something they did together every week. Michael McStay, told newscasters he wore his brother’s jersey number to keep his spot warm.
Silveria said she spoke with Summer McStay for about an hour everyday from Feb. 1 through Feb. 4. The two talked about the family settling into their new home at 3473 Avocado Vista Lane in Fallbrook and Summer picking up real estate again. She used to be a real estate agent in Rancho Santa Margarita before becoming a stay at home mom. Joseph McStay was also a licensed realtor. On Feb. 5 Joseph McStay’s friend texted him about a soccer game that had been cancelled because of possible rain, Silveria said, but McStay never responded. Then another friend sent over important real estate papers on Feb. 10 and called Summer to see if she received them. Her call wasn’t returned.
On Feb. 13 Michael McStay visited the Fallbrook house to check on the family, but no one was home. He came again on Feb. 15 and knocked in the front window to get inside. He called police, who said they found the parent’s cell phones and food items left out that should have been refrigerated. The McStay’s two dogs Bear and Baby Bear had been left outside without food or water, something the family would have never done, friends said. The dogs are being cared for by family members.
An employee of another business at the office complex, which Joseph McStay lists as his company called Earth Inspired Products’ address, said he had not seen McStay in over a month. Silveria said she thinks he was planning to stop the lease on the office at 2377 S. El Camino Real and run the business from his Fallbrook home.
According to court records, Joseph McStay had a few civil cases brought against him in 1999 dealing with copyright infringement. Friends say the family did not have any known enemies.
If you have information about the case, call police at 858-565-5200 or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.
Something doesn’t seem quite right. If this is such a close-knit family, shouldn’t the parents have contacted any other family member to tell them not to worry ? I just hope we get some good news about this story. Lets hope that they are found, or at least hopefull they will be in contact with someone.
Its not a bad thing to want to disappear, especially these days when times are tough. But if they have disappeared volantarily, they should at least contact someone so that we can know that they’re all okay.
God Be With You…….
SARA
THEY DIDN”T JUST TAKE OFF.THEY WOULDN’T HAVE LEFT FOOD OUT TO ROT, OR LEFT THE DOGS WITHOUT FOOD AND WATER.HOPEFULLY AUTHORITES CHECKED WITH ALL THE NEIGHBORS AND THEIR SECURITY CAMERAS FROM FEB 4th AND 5th. I AM SURE THEY CHECKED BANK RECORDS TO SEE IF HE HAD TO USE HIS ATM ALONE OR AT GUNPOINT..I SAW ON THE NEWS POLICE TAKING HIS HARD DRIVE. THE CAR BEING ABANDONED DOWN BY THE BORDER WITH THE KIDS CAR SEATS IN THEM ,IS NOT GOOD .I HOPE POLICE LOOKED AT CAMERAS IN THAT PARKING LOT TO SEE WHO ABANDONED THE CAR.
Did you talk to the family that miraculously survived an ambush near the mexican border, driving a van, family of 4, from California….they were on a show on biography channel. Their story is similar, and had they not survived to tell, I am sure they would have never been found. I warn you, their story is frightening. I have it recorded…I thought maybe they had contacted you.
Surely they have. Faye
IVE BEEN FOLLING THE STORY OF THE MCSTAY FAMILY AND I WATCH THE MEXICAN BORDER TAPES AND I AGREE WITH ANOTHER COMENTER I DO NOT BELEAVE THAT IT IS THE MCSTAY;S I TO SAW THE ONE CHAIL BREAK AWAY AT THE TOP OF TAPE ALMOST AT THE CHSCK POINT AND ALSO THE WOMAN IN THE TAPE LOOK;S TO HAVE SHORTER HAIR
Sounds like they may have been taken from their home as the food was left out, their cell phones left behind and the dogs left outside with no food/water. This could be a possible kidnapping, as there has been one in Texas last month of an enlisted military man. They demanded 100K and release of troups from the border. I am praying for this family, this is horrible, so sorry.
No one in their right mind should think that if Summer hated Mexico that she would go there willingly, and they had over $100,000 in the bank that was untouched??? I believe in all of my heart that Someone broke into their home and hurt the parents, got onto their computer and searched about info on taking kids into Mexico, and took their children and just walked into Mexico. I mean, come on! They really need to search Mexico! Although I pray that the family is ok, the reality is that two level headed people don’t do something like this without coercion. The man in the video had no hair, summer hated Mexico…and if the diner worker had seen them, why didn’t the idiot try to save a fork or something to try to get DNA or fingerprints?
TERESA I AGREE 100% ON WHAT YUR SAYING,I HAVE THOUGHT THAT FROM WATCHING THINGS ABOUT THEM ON TV.LAST WEEK ON ANOTHER SITE I SAID I BELIEVED SOMEONE WAS IN THE HOUSE WHEN THE DAD CAME HOME FROM WORK AND HAD ALREADY DID SOMETHING TO HIS WIFE,SOMEONE TOOK THOSE KIDS AND HAVE THEM IN MEXICO.NO TELLING WHAT THEY ARE DOING TO THEM OR EVEN IF THERE ALIVE.ON 48HRS.LAST WEEK SOUNDS LIKE THE COPS DROPPED THE BALL BIG TIME……
Has anyone ever thought that maybe the reason Summer wouldn’t dare go to Mexico is because it has something to do with her name changes. Maybe she’d been there before like before Joseph and the kids and witnessed something or something happened over there. I think she has something to do with this and I blame her because why would a woman have so many aliases.
Just wondering if the videos from the previous days for the border were checked. It sounds like they only checked for the day the car was found.
Also the tape they show looks like the male figure is carrying someone in his left arm, unless that is a shadow. But the female figure doesn’t have the same shadow when she walks in the same spot. It could be a 3rd child which wouldn’t make it them.
Maybe they are stuck in a jail over there and can’t get out, because of the different names.
Just my perspective, hope they are found.
First of all I don’t think it was a home invasion. I worked with a women who’s family home was invaded and they ransacted the place and made her dad go to the bank to get money.
My thought was that Joseph was out somewhere shopping or whatever and saw someone from his past he feared was looking for him and would harm his family. He raced home to get the wife and children and left immediately. If he had $100,000. in the bank he proably had quite a bit of cash at the house. They fled to the border as a ruse and ditched the car, bought a another car and left the area.
As long as the person they fear doesn’t have their SS# they can send in a change of name to SS and get a new card with the same number. Women who marry do this all the time.
Our step-son didn’t contact anyone in his family for 20 years. My son-in-law, a computer expert had been looking on line for him for sometime without result. He had a common first and last name which made it harder. He was working in So Cal using his SS# and not trying to hide. He was getting married and his bride wanted to know his family so he made contact.
If I were looking for this family the first thing I would do is check auto dealers in the are to see if a family meeting their discription bought a car at that time.
I don’t for one minute think they took those children into Mexico on foot.
If a family member has his SS# I would have the police check to see if anyone is working using this number. Even if he had $20,000. in cash at home he couldn’t still be living off of it. He would have to be working.
I hope and pray that they are alright and this is what I believe. I wish you all the best in your search. I hope I have been of some small help…Joan
I was over looking what has been founded and like everyone else why would they leave food out and their cell phones? @ home ???? and I read what Summers friend said about how over protective she was about her kids how they wouldn’t have just walked across the border like that, makes this really suspious….I was wondering if the police, FBI has been to their home and asked neighbors if they had witnessed any suspious activity? the reason I ask is because i googled the home and from looking at the map and a view of the home from above it shows that theres path ways behind the home, I’m thinking what if this was a robbery gone bad maybe the couple had gone to the gorcery store came home with their kids and found that somebody was robbing the place and was held hostaged and the person thought that they would report this and took them out back and through those paths and then came back took their car and was thinking of driving across the border so that way they can try to cover their tracks, but knew if they would have gone across the border they would have evidence on tape with their face, so they decided last minute to abonded the car, getting the police and everybody to think they went missing from there, when really it was probably taken place right at their home. Hope somebody reads this and take it in consideration, I watch alot of first 48 and csi, just trying to bring some closer to the Mcstay family any more thoughts and suggestions I’ll repost other then that may the Lord be with the Mcstays.
I was over looking what has been founded and like everyone else why would they leave food out and their cell phones? @ home ???? and I read what Summers friend said about how over protective she was about her kids how they wouldn’t have just walked across the border like that, makes this really suspious….I was wondering if the police, FBI has been to their home and asked neighbors if they had witnessed any suspious activity? the reason I ask is because i googled the home and from looking at the map and a view of the home from above it shows that theres path ways behind the home, I’m thinking what if this was a robbery gone bad maybe the couple had gone to the gorcery store came home with their kids and found that somebody was robbing the place and was held hostaged and the person thought that they would report this and took them out back and through those paths and then came back took their car and was thinking of driving across the border so that way they can try to cover their tracks, but knew if they would have gone across the border they would have evidence on tape with their face, so they decided last minute to abonded the car, getting the police and everybody to think they went missing from there, when really it was probably taken place right at their home. Hope somebody reads this and take it in consideration, I watch alot of first 48 and csi, just trying to bring some closer to the Mcstay family any more thoughts and suggestions I’ll repost other then that may the Lord be with the Mcstays.
I don’t think they planned on going missing. They were planning on coming back home but something happened where ever they went and something bad happened that kept them from coming home. Only God knows what happened and I pray that the families of Joey & Summer find out soon. I am a dog person and I know Summer was too – I would never leave my dogs without food- and I know she wouldnt have either. She had intended on returning. I will continue to pray for these families.
I know it is hard to tthink about but maybe the case people should be looking at Jane & John doe’s that have been found since then. There is also a underground ring of people that can protect woman and children. If they believed they were in danger. I dunno. I will just pray this all comes out soon.
I see a lot of people with strong opinions but their facts are twisted. Teresa, individuals responsible for a home invasion could NOT have been the ones doing the internet search on taking children into MX as that search was, in fact, done a full week before Feb. 4th, 2010. As a scientist, I don’t have an opinion yet: not enough information. There is also a LOT of information that will not be released as it would impede the still ongoing investigation. I do have questions, though. Namely, I read in 1 interview that while their car was seen on neighbors’ security video driving away at 7:47PM on Feb. 4th, she made her last cell call at 2:11PM and he made his last cell call around 8:30PM, to a co-worker about an earlier meeting. Yet, the article about stipulates that both cell phones were left behind at the home… Which is it? Was the time of his last call printed wrong? Second, hotels do ask for credit cards but B&Bs do not. I used to go spend the week-end in Laguna Beach when I wasn’t away for work and rent a guesthouse by the water for $120/night CASH. If where they spent their time between Feb. 4th and Feb. 8th happens to be a quiet place whose owners don’t want the attention or the suspicion, they may never come forward. They may also have participated in a scam meant to get the McStay family across the border under false pretenses such as helping someone. So, were B&Bs checked? Not all keep records, though… Finally, was Summer on any medications? MX is the place to go for many who want them NOW. She seems to be into natural remedies and MX is ALSO the place to go for that. Her last call was to an Homeopathic Remedies company, asking for something to help with anger. Kava does just that is can be found right on the other side of the border, whereas it is now hard to find in the US. (Had some in a Kava ceremony in Fiji and it made my mouth numb for 15 minutes!) Just a thought… I’m sure shops were checked, but people there are always afraid to talk. This family’s story has been bothering me like no other from day 1. I pray they are ALL found well, but the odds are getting low. The children, because of the way MX “operates” could still be alive, though…
Just an additional comment. Just because someone buys a language learning system doesn’t mean they’re planning on going there, especially Spanish in California! She was planning to go back to work and these days, any job here dealing with the public requires knowing Spanish. And the internet search about the need (or lack thereof) of passports to enter MX could have been for anything: a vacation months from then into southern & safer parts of MX they might have just been told about (a friend did ask them to go there with her), a search for an excuse to turn the friend down (“the kids don’t have passports and I never leave them”), an attempt to help a friend by looking for solutions to said friend’s problem, etc… It’s the searches before and after it that may give this one perspective. And since investigators know their jobs better than we do, we shouldn’t assume and opine unless they have confirmed it first. IMHO… (Pun intended…) Same with the fact that Summer changed names often: the police has attributed it to a strong and eccentric personality, and therefore, so should we! They have, after all, investigated it more than thoroughly! How arrogant to assume that other people would do something for only the reasons that we ourselves would do it! We are all different people and generalizing doesn’t do this investigation – and this family – any good.
I think that they are in fact in hiding. From what exactly, I do not know. Usually in a situation involving foul play, there is something left behind. Even if it is a small unidentifiable fingerprint or a neighbor who heard an unusual noise, there is something to point you in to the direction that someone else was involved. In this case, it looks like Mr. Mcstay may have gotten some information that could have been harmful to both himself and his family. He then felt the need to urgently take them away. I think that the only people who were aware of this problem were he and Summer. None of us knows what a person will do when their life is on the line, so it is not fair for us to say that him just taking off is out of his character. It would be nice if he could send a message to his family letting them know his whereabouts but that may not be the safe thing for him to do right now. Just give it some time. The truth will emerge!
I’ve seen this story on 48 hours, Discovery, and E and I have been trying to think and think what could have happened. I am stumped.
I am praying for them and their families.
This may be a long shot but were the McStay’s involved in any kind of Organized Religious group? Has anyone looked into any or the Churches or Religious groups in Mexico or Central America?