Crime & Safety
'Prophet,' an Unmistakable Man in Black, Dies
Some residents of Lake Forest were familiar with Charles Barnes, a transient who was known to spend time in south Orange County.
He was a man without a home, but had a persona as big as his shoulders. Dressed head-to-toe in black and walking on the streets of Lake Forest—El Toro Road near the corner of Rockfield among them—the man who called himself "Prophet" was unmistakable to those who passed him.
His real name was Charles Barnes. Though he looked like he was misplaced from a Raiders football game, he was familiar to residents of other south Orange County cities as well, largely because of his distinct look.
Barnes was found dead Tuesday morning in Santa Ana, according to the Orange County Register. He was 54, the cause of death apparently natural causes.
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Without question, he was a man who stood out from the crowd.
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