*click on the image for a larger view*
A story you might not have heard about is the story of a kidnapped girl from Walnut Creek named Lisa Dickinson.
Lisa was last seen riding her bike in Walnut Creek at 7 p.m. on September 5, 1976. She was going to the BART station from her home in the area across Ygnacio from Heather Farm Park. She was supposed to be home by 8 p.m., but didn’t return to her family home. She has never been heard from again.
Her parents reported her missing at 9 p.m. Lisa’s bike (a red Raleigh 10-speed) was found in a grove of walnut trees at Heather Farm Park near the Contra Costa Canal, three hours after she was last seen. A search of the canal turned up no clues as to her whereabouts, but witnesses said they saw Lisa at the park entrance.
Several witnesses reported seeing a Caucasian male driving a medium sized motorcycle on Ygnacio Valley Rd and Walnut Ave, two blocks east of Heather Farm Park, at approximately 7:30 pm. The man was not wearing a helmet.
He was described as:
- Early 40s in age
- Brown curly hair
- Mustache
- Chunky build
A Caucasian female wearing a white helmet, aged between eight and twelve years old, was riding the motorcycle with him. It hasn’t been verified that the child was Lisa, and the man’s identity has never been confirmed.
The primary suspect, according to the City of Walnut Creek, is a man named Louis Fresquez. He was 34-years-old in 1976 (80-years-old in 2022). He is 5’5″, 140 with black hair and brown eyes (see photo above)
Fresquez was imprisoned for sex crimes between 1987 and 2002. He has never been charged in connection with Lisa’s disappearance due to a lack of evidence.
If you have any information about this case, call the Walnut Creek Police Department at 925-943-5844.
Reference: Cold Case 76-9880
Paul Holes, we need you on this one!
What’s needed is a couple pissed off relatives who are willing to grab this suspect and do whatever it takes to make him talk.
Lisa was a classmate of mine at San Miguel Elementary, currently Berean Christian, and I remember this tragedy well. I think of her often, including just this week when riding the canal trail even though it happened just before 4th grade started and I am now 55. It left such an impact on me I can’t imagine what it did and does to her family.
As I recall when Fresquez was arrested years later for unrelated crimes they found newspaper clippings regarding the search for Lisa in his home and that is why he was considered a suspect.
The witnesses stories don’t make much sense. Why would this girl abandon her bike and get on the back of some ugly guys motorcycle? My other question is why a nine year old girl would be riding a bike from Heather Farm to BART? Then being out until 8PM. All of these missing kids stories are tragic.
Ricardo Walnut Creek & Concord were so different 46 years ago. Bart was new, clean & very safe. We rode our bikes from one end of Concord into Walnut Creek often. I’m sure she didn’t willing go anywhere with someone especially if it was that guy. Prayers for answers & some kind of closure for her family and friends
I was at Heather Farms Park with friends riding our bikes around the pounds and up on the ridge where they were building the town homes that overlook the horse area. The area around the park was still pretty much all walnut orchards at the time. The sun didn’t go down till around 730 that day. We rode the canal road (wasn’t a trail at the time) headed to my friends house just across Bancroft Rd. Since Monday was Labor Day and school didn’t start till Tuesday my parents let me sleep over. The next day police were every where with tracking dogs and an officer spoke to us asking if we’d seen anything while at the park. Being 10 yrs old at the time we never paid much attention to anyone and never worried about anything.
I remember all the neighborhood parents talking about this and all the moms being very upset.Changed how I viewed my surroundings from then on.
@Ricardo – this was the 70’s, as kids we rode our bikes all over and most parents never worried as long as you were home by dark. It was still light out at 8pm that day. Walnut Creek was a quiet suburb in which everyone felt safe.
It is strange ride for a lone 9 year old girl. A number of busy streets to cross when there are better rides right in the hood. Including the canal. Most nine year olds don’t stay out until 8 pm by themselves.
I think of Lisa every time I ride my bike along the backside of the pond at Heather Farms. The Diablo Valley was an innocent and great place to grow up. I was 11 when this happened and I had 4 sisters so it was a scary time. Wherever you are Lisa we will never forget you and we have great faith that one day we will bring you home.
I stumbled across this story about 12 or 13 years ago during which time my child was attending BC. I thought about this girl every day driving to BC and Heather Farms during those years for school and baseball practice, as BC uses the fields right next to the canal trail.
Most people don’t know that there was a serial killer who strangled a woman inside her home one morning just a couple of houses down from the Dickensons’ just the year before Lisa disappeared. His identity didn’t come to light until 1979. He was ultimately convicted of three murders. No doubt he’s good for several more. I guess I’m not allowed to mention his name here but it’s public info and easy to look up. In 1966 there was also a woman who was victim to the same fate on Fyne Ave, same MO, even the same time of day. That one is unsolved. My belief is that it was the same killer. I also believe he killed a woman in her driveway in Alamo in 1969, also in the morning, just blocks from his home at the time. That one is also unsolved. Honestly I’m not sure he’s on the LE radar for those two but I know he’s suspected of others. Two of the three victims for which the above individual was convicted of killing were abducted, so he didn’t stick to one MO.
EAR-ONS aka Golden State Killer was also active in the San Miguel area in the 70’s for a short time. No less than 6 known serial killers operated throughout CoCo during the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s.
Interesting info, Cole. What was the serial killer’s name?
Phillip Hughes
Hughes was the East Bay strangler. With the help of his ex-wife. One of his victims worked at K-Mart, and her body was found along Morgan Territory. It was safer back then with the exception of serial killers. Chilling.