Roseville native had bright future

Chris Baker was a local boy who was finding success in the glitz and glamour of Southern California, hanging out with celebrities and even appearing in a reality show. But he never forgot where he came from."When we would hook up it was like he never left," said longtime friend Sal Robles. "It was always the same old Chris."Baker, 29, died Friday night in a South Carolina plane crash that killed three others and left two popular musicians – Travis Barker, former drummer for punk band Blink 182, and Adam Goldstein, known as DJ AM – in critical condition.The Learjet, bound for Van Nuys, crashed on takeoff after crew members heard a tire burst and tried to abort, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The crash occurred only hours after the musicians performed at a concert in Columbia, S.C., for thousands of college students.Also killed were pilot Sarah Lemmon, co-pilot James Bland and bodyguard Charles Still.Baker leaves behind a wife and young child, and a family that was already grieving. His 24-year-old brother Rob Warn died in a motorcycle crash only weeks ago.Baker, a 1997 Roseville High School graduate, was part of Barker's entourage, serving as his personal assistant and the manager of Barker's Los Angeles pop-punk clothing store, The Fast Life. He had even appeared on a few episodes of an MTV reality show chronicling Barker's life."That lifestyle, all the opportunities there, that was pure heaven for him and he loved it," his mother, Linda Warn, said Sunday.She described her son as "an extreme extrovert." "There wasn't anybody he couldn't have a conversation with and make them feel important and special," she said.Baker grew up on Grape Street in Roseville, where he befriended Robles with a mixture of his characteristic charm and verve."A lot of the houses had grapes in the backyard, and Chris showed up one day at my front door and he was selling grapes that he had picked," Robles said, recalling the first time the pair met, at around age 10 or 11. "My mom, she thought he was so cute standing there with a bag of grapes he had got from his backyard, that she bought them."In high school, Baker cultivated a wide group of friends, and became well known for his classic cars, which he built with his stepfather, Robert Warn. They included a 1953 Chevy Bel Air with the license plate alluding to his moniker, "Lil Chris," so-called for his demure stature.Baker moved to Southern California shortly after graduation. His early stab at entrepreneurship showed itself again as he started a mobile detailing service."Basically his attitude is, 'I'm going to go and this is what I'm going to do and trust me mom, it's going to be fine,'" Warn said. "And it always would be."At a car wash one day about five years ago, he met Barker. Baker complimented Barker's car, "but he said you should hire me to take care of it," his mother said.Soon, the pair was inseparable, Warn said. Baker went on tour with Barker and was then hired as his personal assistant."He was meeting all kinds of celebrities every day," Robles said. "I believe he told me he just shook Hugh Heffner's hand and that was really cool."At Fast Life, Baker helped the company expand its marketing materials, open its first retail outlet and promote its products. Well wishers placed bouquets of flowers and a photograph of Baker and Still outside the store this week, according to the Los Angeles news site LAist.Baker derived special joy from his son, Sebastian, 2. Baker and wife Jessie would have celebrated their first anniversary next month."He just wanted to spoil his son and give him everything," Robles said.The Associated Press reported on Monday that a cockpit voice recorder recovered from the plane indicates crew members thought they heard a tire explode on takeoff and attempted to abort.Linda Warn said the family is deriving strength from their memories of Robert and Chris, and their 22-year-old son, James Warn. "We kind of think the boys would be very disappointed in us if we didn't buck up and go on and make the most of what life we have left," she said. "We have no regrets," Warn added. "Every time we saw our children we told them we loved them. They had no doubts of that and that really helps."