Crime & Safety

UPDATE: Sheriff’s Dive Unit to Search Lakes for Missing Teen

The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Dive Team unit will search the surface area of reservoirs and lakes in Morgan Hill today.

Updated at 12:30 p.m., Thursday. The water-search efforts conducted on Tuesday and Wednesday did not uncover any evidence that appears to be sufficient in the Sierra Lamar case, the Sheriff's Office announced Thursday.

Sheriff’s Detectives, with the assistance of allied agencies, will be conducting further investigative efforts in Morgan Hill Thursday. Investigators are also continuing to follow-up on any and all leads and tips that continue to come in on the Sierra Lamar case.

The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office will conduct more searches for missing Morgan Hill teen Sierra LaMar starting today at 2 p.m. Law enforcement believe the 15-year-old Ann Sobrato High School student was by someone who's familar with the Morgan Hill area or community.

The sheriff’s Dive Team unit will be searching Uvas Reservoir and Parkway Lakes, and additional land searches will be conducted by search and rescue crews, Sgt. Jose Cardoza wrote in a statement released Wednesday morning.

The dive team reportedly began conducting water-surface searches yesterday at Calero Reservoir and Chesbro Reservoir. A search and rescue K9 that's specially trained in "water human remain detection" will be on a boat with the dive team today, Cardoza wrote.

“The Search and Rescue K9 specializes in water borne detection,” Cardoza wrote. “No actual diving will take place unless the search and rescue K9 detects possible human remains in the water.”

Searches will take place in the areas north of Palm Avenue and south of Bailey Road, including the Coyote Creek area, Anderson reservoir and Monterey Road west to the foothills, Cardoza wrote. The searches will continue through sunset.

Here’s an updated list of the resources dedicated toward the Sierra LaMar search provided by the Sheriff's Office:

Find out what's happening in Gilroywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

  • Over 3,000 personnel hours have been dedicated to the Sierra LaMar case, including the time spent by the Sheriff’s Office, FBI and allied agency hours.
  • Over 500 tips have come in via phone calls and emails. All tips continue to be evaluated and followed-up on by investigators.

Anyone with information on this case is being asked to contact Sheriff's Investigators at (408) 808-4500 or the anonymous tip line at (408) 808-4431. Tips can also be relayed via email at tips@sheriff.sccgov.org


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