Tag Archives: Verdugo Mountains

Missing FBI Agent’s Body Found in Burbank Hills Near School

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BurbankNBeyond.com Exclusive
By Craig Sherwood and Stan Lynch, with Photos By Ross A. Benson

 

The mysterious disappearance of FBI Agent Stephen Ivens has possibly been solved.  His decomposing body was found Monday evening, July 30, less than 2 miles from his home. The 81-day ordeal for the Ivens family has finally come to an end.

Burbank Police investigate a body discovered in the brush behind St. Francis School. (© Ross A. Benson)

A body, believed to be that of  Stephen Ivens, was found by two hikers on Monday evening in brush, several yards above the Mother Cabrini Chapel that is located in the back parking lot of St. Francis Xavier Church and School, 3801 N. Scott Rd.  A paved, gated access road, Scott Way, winds up the hillside nearby.  Police believe the body has been at that location since he went missing on May 11.  It is in an area with dense brush, and nott easily visible from the road, the nearby Villa Cabrini townhomes, or from the church parking lot.  Police recovered a firearm at the scene, believed to be Ivens’ FBI issued service weapon.

Burbank Police did not publicly reveal the discovery of the body until today, to allow time for Iven’s family to be notified of the possible find.  His wife and 2 year-old son live in Burbank, and his mother lives in Massachusetts.

Burbank Police investigate a body discovered in the brush behind St. Francis School. (© Ross A. Benson)

Ivens was last seen alive on May 10, by his wife, Thea Ivens, at their apartment in the 1700 block of Scott Road.  She called police to report that her husband was missing, the following morning.  She told police that he was depressed and possibly suicidal.  His FBI issued handgun was missing from their apartment.  Her call to police set off a massive search by local police officers, sheriff’s deputies, search and rescue groups, and FBI agents.  After 12 days of intense activity, the search went to a “lead-driven” status.

Because Ivens was a runner and hiker, authorities considered that he might have walked into the Verdugo Mountains.   Dogs had tracked his scent to the trailhead at the Stough Canyon Nature Center.   Initially, authorities had requested that the public stay out of the hills above Burbank.  However the next day, in a joint news conference with the Burbank Police Department, L.A. Sheriff’s Department, and FBI, they asked the public to be on the lookout for Ivens.

Los Angeles Coroner's Department arrive to process the scene.( © Ross A. Benson)

Speculation mounted during the second day of the search, when paramilitary-looking heavily armed men wearing body armor were seen in Wildwood Canyon.  One of our staff members was ordered to leave the area and not photograph the men.  Unsubstantiated reports circulated on the internet that Ivens might be involved in some international intrigue.  However, the agent in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles office stated that Ivens was not involved in any criminal activity.   Stephen Ivens, 35, had been an FBI agent for 3 years, and prior to that had been a Los Angeles Police officer for 8 years.

On May 16, Iven’s wife, mother, and uncle held a tearful news conference on the steps of the Burbank Police and Fire Headquarters, in which they pleaded for the public’s help in finding the missing agent.  They created a web page, and a Facebook page. On June 13, Iven’s wife and uncle held a news conference in front of the Stough Canyon Nature Center, where she shed some light onto case.

The area where a body was discovered behind St. Frances School. (© Ross A. Benson)

“My husband was depressed about something at work,” said Thea Ivens, “but it was not about his actual job as an FBI agent,” adding, “He loved his job.”  She declined to elaborate further.

As the search stretched past it’s second month, police unofficially speculated that Iven’s body was probably somewhere in the mountains surrounding Burbank.  They noted that sometimes bodies go undiscovered for years in the hills adjacent to populated areas.

 

Note: Video shot this morning is now up for viewing. Just go to the Front Page and click on the video.

Photo from Google Images where body was found Monday night

Local Searches for Missing Special Agent Transition to Lead-Driven Searches

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Information is being sought regarding Stephen Ivens, a resident of Burbank, California, who was reported missing on Friday, May 11, 2012. Stephen Ivens has been a special agent (SA) with the Federal Bureau of Investigation since September 2008 and is assigned to the Los Angeles Field Office. On the morning of May 11, officers with the Burbank Police Department responded to the 1700 block of Scott Road, in Burbank, California, where Ivens resides with his family. SA Ivens’ family last saw him at the Scott Road residence the previous evening.

Special Agent Stephen Ivers

Initial investigation indicates that SA Ivens may have been distraught and possibly suicidal. SA Ivens’ FBI service weapon, a Glock handgun, was missing when police responded to the residence, and it is possible the handgun is in SA Ivens’ possession. Investigators have found no evidence of foul play, and there is no indication that SA Ivens intended to harm others. The FBI and the law enforcement community are concerned for SA Ivens’ well-being and have public safety concerns with regard to the missing weapon.

Comprehensive searches conducted during the past 12 days in the nearby Verdugo Mountains met with negative results. Investigators will continue to focus on lead-driven searches, as well as information provided by the public. More than 100 tips from residents, area-hikers, and others were received by the investigative team. Photos and a description of SA Ivens may be found at the following link: http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/stephen-ryan-ivens/view.

SA Ivens is a former police officer with the Los Angeles Police Department. He is known to be an avid runner and is described as a white male, 35 years of age, 6’0” tall, 160 lbs., with brown eyes and receding brown hair. SA Ivens normally wears prescription glasses. SA Ivens is believed to have departed on foot and may have been wearing athletic or casual attire. The search for SA Ivens originally focused on the Verdugo Mountain range based on the proximity of the mountains to SA Ivens’ home, as well as an early scent detected by a canine unit. Investigators have not ruled out that the scent may have been based on an earlier visit to the Verdugo Mountains by SA Ivens. At no time was there conclusive evidence that SA Ivens went in the direction of the Verdugo Mountains, though this possibility has not been ruled out. Investigators believe it is also possible that SA Ivens may have gone in another direction and are, therefore, relying on anyone who might have seen SA Ivens, or does see him, to call the Burbank PD or the FBI with information.

Since May 11, several agencies have supported the search efforts. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s personnel from Altadena, Montrose, Santa Clarita, and Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Teams* assisted in Verdugo Mountain searches, including specially trained reserve sheriff’s deputies and civilian volunteer rescuers, as well as Special Enforcement Bureau-Emergency Services Detail deputy paramedics, bloodhounds, off-road motorcycles, and a helicopter crew. Law enforcement personnel, including air, ground, and canine units with the following law enforcement agencies provided considerable assistance during the search efforts: Burbank Police Department, the Glendale Police Department, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Long Beach Police Department, the Los Angeles City Fire Department, the Los Angeles County Fire Department, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, and the Burbank Airport Police Department. Teams made up of approximately 40 FBI agents at a time were paired up with the search and rescue teams during several days of searching.

The Burbank Police Department is leading the missing person investigation with the assistance of the FBI. Anyone with information as to the whereabouts or circumstances surrounding the disappearance of SA Ivens is urged to contact the Burbank Police Department at 818-238-3000 or the FBI in Los Angeles at 310 477-6565.

Public’s Help Asked In Hunt For Missing FBI Agent

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(LtoR) Captain Mike Parker LASO, Burbank Police Captain Denis Cremins, Special Agent in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles office, Steven Gomez brief the media about the missing FBI agent. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

A massive search effort is underway to find a missing Burbank man who is an FBI Agent.  Authorities are now asking for the public’s help in locating Stephen Ivens. They believe he may be in the Verdugo Mountains.

Ivens, was last seen by his family on Thursday night.  He lives in the 1700 block of Scott Road with his wife and young child.  His wife called police to report him missing shortly after 7 a.m. Friday morning. He is described as despondent and possibly suicidal.  His service weapon is missing from his home.

He has been an FBI agent for three years, working on national security in the Los Angeles area.  Prior to becoming an FBI agent, Ivens was with the Los Angeles Police Department for eight  years.

Ivens is an avid hiker and runner.  Bloodhounds tracking his scent believe he headed into the hills above Burbank.  The search efforts have concentrated on the Verdugo Mountains.  Police and FBI agents were passing out missing person fliers early Saturday morning to hikers at trailheads near the Stough Canyon Nature Center and Wildwood Canyon.

In a news conference this afternoon, Burbank Police Captain Denis Cremins, Captain Mike Parker of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, and Special Agent in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles office, Steven Gomez, outlined the efforts being taken to find Ivens.  Several law enforcement agencies have contributed manpower and resources to the search effort.

The Burbank Police Department has been handling the  missing person investigation.  A 40-member Sheriff’s search and rescue team (half of whom are volunteer Reserve Deputies)  have been combing the hills above Burbank.   The Sheriff’s helicopter has also been used in the search.  In addition, the Los Angeles and Long Beach Police Department have brought in bloodhounds for tracking, and the Glendale Police Department has provided off-road vehicles.

When asked if the manpower and resources involved in the search were increased because the missing person is a law enforcement officer, Capt. Parker responded, “This is not an unusual effort. We would do the same for other missing persons.”

FBI Agent Stephen Ivens

A check of one of the trails above Wildwood Canyon by the Burbank Police Shooting range found a four-man heavily armed team with automatic weapons walking the trails.  The team would not identify the agency they were with.  A command post has been set up across from the Starlight Bowl made up of different agency personnel.

So far the search has not turned up Ivens or any evidence connected to him.   He is 35 years old, White, 6 feet tall, 160 lbs., with brown eyes and receding brown hair.  He wears prescription glasses. What he was wearing when he went missing is unknown.  If you see him, police request that you do not contact him, but call 911 or the Burbank Police Department at 818-238-3000.

BurbankNBeyond’s John Savageau also contributed to this story

Rep. Adam Schiff on Preserving Nature Areas and Use of Familial DNA

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On 28 February Burbank N Beyond’s John Savageau had the opportunity to interview Representative Adam Schiff from the 29th District, encompassing Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, and surrounding areas, in his Washington D.C. office.  This is the fifth and final article in a series highlighting activities and topics of interest to Burbank.

BurbankNBeyond: Are there any interesting projects you are involved in that would be of interest to readers in Burbank, projects they may not have been exposed to?

Rep. Schiff:  Actually, the most interesting work I do isn’t work I can share with constituents as it’s in the intelligence community.  But some of the other things we’ve been working on for some time, we’d love to have input and output from the residents on, and I’ll give one example.

Some years ago I wrote a bill called “Rim of the Valley  Core Study Act,” which studies the rim of the valley mountains, the Verdugo Mountains, among other mountain ranges, and ask the Department of the Interior, and Department of Agriculture to study should some of those mountain ranges be part of the national park, in this case the Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area.

That study is going on, and the department is inviting public comment and feedback.  The Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area, which I wish had a different name because it makes people think Santa Monica, but it’s the largest urban park in the country, it’s very heavily utilized, and congress had the foresight back in the early 1970s to create that park.

LA is becoming built up, we are encroaching more and more on open space near us, and I’d like to see that we have the same foresight that congress did several decades ago.  We need to try to preserve that open space.  I don’t know how many folks are aware of that study going on, but it could be very important for their future, and their kids – whether they’ll be able to continue to see beautiful mountains, hike up there, maybe spot a mountain lion or other wildlife.

But those who care about open space I would encourage to get in touch with the Department of the Interior and we can help facilitate that, and let them know we care about open space and encourage them to reflect those priorities in their analysis.

BurbankNBeyond:  Any other interesting projects?

Rep. Schiff:  Let me mention one other thing your readers might be interested in.

For many years I’ve done a lot of work in the area of DNA.  To understand the use of DNA to solve cold cases and crime cases.  In the next month or two we’re going to have a ribbon-cutting in Glendale for a regional DNA lab that we got to fund.

That (DNA lab) will be able to serve communities like Burbank, Glendale, and Pasadena, which otherwise had to go through the county, and long waits to get DNA evidence back from the labs.

Related, I introduced legislation that I raised with the Attorney General (who) is testifying today, that is to expand the use of what’s called “Familial DNA.” That is a process that is really quite new.

In California we used to find a serial killer you probably read about.  This is somebody who killed people over a two decade span.  He was called the “Grim Sleeper” because there was a long period where police thought he had gone to sleep, and effectively was not in the murder business and re-emerged.

They couldn’t catch him, even though they had ample DNA, of his, from the victims.  But, there was no match in the system because he had never been arrested, or if he had been arrested they never got his DNA.

As a last resort they (police) did a familial search , which means you search for DNA that’s in the database that’s very similar, but not precisely the same.

If you find very similar DNA, you know two things about the person.  You know they are not the culprit, because it’s (the DNA) not identical.  But you also know they (the person providing DNA) may be closely related to the culprit.

And in this case they got a hit on the serial killer’s son who was in the database.  He had a criminal record.  So once they identified a family member of the killer it wasn’t long before they identified the killer.

That case would still be unsolved if they hadn’t used familial DNA.   We were lucky in that case because the son lived in the same state, California.  Because California allows familial search of its database.

The federal government does not allow a familial search of its database.  The federal database is much bigger.  So if the son had been arrested in Nevada, the Grim Sleeper would still be at large.

I have a bill to establish a national protocol so we can do a familial search as a search of last resort.

BurbankNBeyond:  You don’t believe there will be any opposition that would be a violation of an individual’s 4th Amendment rights?

Rep. Schiff:  There may be opposition, and certainly we have to educate people about what Familial DNA is about.  It’s not about arresting family members that are completely innocent in a search for somebody who isn’t.

But it is an important tool that needs to be used carefully, and it may have to have privacy protections in, so that any family member’s DNA is matched, and doesn’t suffer any stigma as a result of their DNA being matched, and protocols for the purging of records after an investigation, and other important steps.

So our legislation will require that states have in place a policy that protects a person’s privacy the same way that we do in California.  California’s only one of a couple states that allow it right now.  But I think California has demonstrated that it can be done appropriately, and with great effect.

I’d like to make sure we have that capacity federally as well.

BurbankNBeyond:  Should residents contact your office to voice their approval or support of that bill?

Rep. Schiff:  I would welcome it, and we have a website at www.house.gov/schiff, and they can email me their thoughts.  We also have a weekly newsletter they can sign up for on the website.  So I’d encourage all the above!

Mountain Lion Sighted By Resident on Verdugo Spring Lane

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This Buck was spotted by BurbankNBeyond Deborah Dodge on a recent hike from the Nature Center. The hills above Burbank are full of wildlife like Deer, Bobcats, and Mountain Lions. (Photo By Deborah Dodge)

 

On November 8, 2011, at 2:50 p.m., a resident in the 1200 block of Verdugo Spring Lane observed what they thought was a mountain lion walk up their driveway, around their house, and into the back yard.  The mountain lion was last seen walking up a slope to the rear of the residence.  The resident took photographs of the mountain lion and, after viewing the photographs, an animal control officer confirmed it was, in fact, a mountain lion.

Mountain lions are typically quiet, solitary animals that avoid people.  Although more mountain lion sightings have been reported recently, it is important that residents practice the following precautions provided by the California Department of Fish and Game:

  • Do not feed deer; it is illegal in California and it will attract mountain lions.
  • Trim brush to reduce hiding places for mountain lions.
  • Don’t allow pets outside when mountain lions are most active—dawn, dusk, and at night.
  • Bring pet food inside to avoid attracting raccoons, opossums, and other potential mountain lion prey.
  • Do not leave small children or pets outside unattended.
  • Install motion-sensitive lighting around the house.
  • Do not hike, bike, or jog alone.
  • Avoid hiking or jogging when mountain lions are most active—dawn, dusk, and at night.
  • Do not approach a mountain lion.
  • If you encounter a mountain lion, do not run; instead, face the animal, make noise and try to look bigger by waving your arms; throw rocks or other objects. Pick up small children.
  • If attacked, fight back.
  • If a mountain lion attacks a person, immediately call 911.

In the event that you see a mountain lion please contact the Burbank Police Department directly at (818) 238-3000 or for more information regarding mountain lions call (818) 238-3290.