Authorities Focus Solely on Tip-Based Searches for Sierra LaMar

Sheriff's personnel are refraining from planning new searches for Morgan Hill teen Sierra LaMar, and will instead focus on conducting land and water searches that are based solely on tips relayed by the public.

"The dive team now is going to be on kind of a standby mode and any searches are going to be more target-focused based on tips and leads," Santa Clara County Sheriff's Sgt. Jose Cardoza said.  

The Sheriff's Office has invested thousands of hours in the search for Sierra. All water searches have been completed, including searches of over 40 small lakes and ponds and at least a half dozen reservoirs in the Morgan Hill area—many of which were checked more than once, Cardoza said.

Sheriff's divers finished their last search at Uvas Reservoir on Monday, which they searched many times since the end of March because it's the closest body of water to Sierra's mom's home. Cardoza said divers were not searching Uvas Reservoir because Antolin Garcia-Torres, who is believed to be responsible for Sierra's kidnapping and presumed murder, would fish there often. 

Although the pace of searches is changing on the Sheriff's end, volunteers from the KlassKids Foundation are continuing their searches every Wednesday and Saturday. 

The KlaasKids Foundation is asking volunteers to report to the Find Sierra Search Center at Burnett Elementary School to continue the search for the teen this Wednesday and Saturday.

Volunteers can check in at the Find Sierra Search Center located at 85 Tilton Road between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. Volunteers are advised to wear long pants, and sturdy, closed-toe shoes.

The KlaasKids Foundation suggests bringing a backpack with water, snacks, bug spray, pre poison oak lotion and a hiking stick.

Garcia-Torres faces charges of murder with a special circumstance of kidnapping. The 21-year-old Morgan Hill resident was arrested May 21 in connection the 15-year-old teen's March 16 disappearance.

Although the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office and the district attorney have made it clear they believe Sierra was murdered, no body has been found.

Are you Patched in? Get our free newsletter in your inbox every morning. Register here.

Into social media? So are we. Join us on Facebook, Twitter or instagr.am (@gilroy_patch).

—The Bay City News Service contributed to this report.