SIERRA LAMAR - 15 yo (2012)/ Suspect: Antolin Garcia-Torres - Morgan Hill CA

Based on the evidence I have seen so far:
1) The perp is known to at least the victim. The timing of the abduction indicates prior knowledge of the victim's schedule and destination. Not likely that this was a crime of opportunity. Clean her hard drive and phone records with a fine-tooth comb.
2) The perp has priors. His early actions of off-loading evidence are not those of a first-timer. I visualize her in the passenger side of the vehicle being forced to throw the phone and the backpack/purse out on her side.
3) She is north of the area, maybe. If this perp was as seasoned as I suspect he may have created a trail of evidence pointing north but following that with a quick 180 and started to go south of the area.

Two renowned experts
who have spent their entire careers profiling violent, shady criminals
and analyzing human behavior say that Sierra LaMar’s likely kidnapper –
or kidnappers – probably stalked the missing teen before grabbing her
from the street outside her home, and that the victim’s personality is
likely the polar opposite of her captor’s - an attribute that could end
up saving her life.


Clint Van Zandt is a
retired FBI agent, hostage negotiator and a profiler in behavioral
science. He agreed with sheriff’s investigators’ premise that Sierra was
likely kidnapped or abducted, based on what he has read in the media
about the case so far.




That includes statements from Santa Clara
County Sheriff’s investigators that no evidence – including 100-plus
interviews with people who know Sierra – indicates she is a runaway,
that she did not have a troubled home or school life, that she made it
out of the house the morning of March 16 when she disappeared, and no
family members are considered suspects.


On March 17, investigators found Sierra’s cell phone
about three-quarters of a mile from her home, near the intersection of
Palm and Dougherty avenues. The following day, they found her purse
containing pants, a T-shirt and undergarments off the side of Santa
Teresa Boulevard, another mile north of Sierra’s neighborhood.


With a preface that he has “no inside knowledge or
specific knowledge” of the case other than what he has read in the news,
Van Zandt said that certain facts strongly indicate more than one
kidnapper was involved, and if they’re not caught soon they might try to
do it again.


“The odds are not in her favor,”
especially considering the fact that no phone calls or ransom demands
from any potential suspects have been reported, Van Zandt added. In
similar kidnapping cases, if the crime hasn’t been solved within 48
hours, the “statistical probability” of the victim’s safe return
diminish.


Sierra’s family has to hope the teen is
“defying the statistics, that (the kidnappers) are holding her some
place and she’s still alive and awaiting rescue, as opposed to the
possibility that she was kidnapped, assaulted and disposed of, or
murdered.”


On the other hand, Sierra might be able to
save herself if she can use what appears to be her socially savvy
personality in her favor, added Dr. Lillian Glass, a Los Angeles-based
behavior analyst, body language and communication expert. This side of
Sierra’s character is depicted in her many smiling pictures on her
Twitter account and avid use of social network websites. Her friends
have described her in recent weeks as “outgoing.” She was a cheerleader
at Washington High School in Fremont, and after moving to Morgan Hill
she quickly joined a new club squad in San Jose – the Black Diamond
Elite team.


“Is she able to use her smarts or
intelligence to appease (her captor) and calm the situation down, to
befriend him? Maybe she can use her personality skills to win (over) and
influence” the kidnapper, Glass suggested. “That’s going to have a
bearing on how long she lives.”


Bus stop numbers key


A key fact in the investigation is whether
or not Sierra had been the only child waiting for the bus at Palm and
Dougherty avenues each morning for the entire five months she has lived
in Morgan Hill, Van Zandt said. If another student or students had been
waiting with her for the same bus, “she would be less vulnerable as a
kidnap victim” for as long as the other riders were near her.


By the last few weeks before her
disappearance, Sierra was the only student waiting for the bus, family
and neighbors confirmed. So, Van Zandt noted, if the bus stop suddenly
went from having a crowd one day to having a single passenger waiting
the next, police should look for anyone who drives through that area
regularly, and might have noticed the change in numbers at the bus
stop.


“That would suggest somebody who lives, or
works in the area, or passes back and forth (for any reason) may have
seen there were two girls there (previously) and that may have been more
challenging,” Van Zandt said. “But if he saw only one person there one
day, that could suggest one of two things: a kidnapper who had passed
the location enough to know she would be there – or it was totally
fortuitous.”


A phone message left with the Morgan Hill
Unified School District, seeking more information on how many students
have used the bus stop in recent months, was not returned by Tuesday
afternoon.


Police have said they think the kidnapper
lives in or is at least familiar with Morgan Hill, due to the secluded
area where Sierra lives and from where she was likely picked up.


If it was a crime of opportunity, and the
kidnapper happened to be driving through the area by chance, saw Sierra
walking alone and grabbed her on the spur of the moment, that would make
investigators’ job more difficult, Van Zandt said.


Either way, the suspect has likely
committed crimes, and perhaps even similar crimes before. That’s why,
Van Zandt said, one of the first things police did was to begin
interviewing registered sex offenders in the area.


“This may or may not be the first person
they’ve taken in a case such as this,” Van Zandt said. The suspect’s
past might not be limited to sex-related or kidnapping crimes, but could
include offenses related to drug use as well. And if they’re not
caught, Sierra’s kidnapping might not be their last.


“They might feel they got away with it, and they could do this again,” Van Zandt said.


The kidnapper – probably a male – is likely in his 20s to mid-30s, and “probably a loner type,” Glass added.


“Obviously, it’s an individual who can’t
have normal relationships with people, and especially with women,” she
said. “He has to go for a teenage girl. People interested in teenage
girls often feel this is the type of young girl they could control.”


Folded clothing puzzles


Investigators have found little physical
evidence so far. Sierra’s cell phone was found in a field about
three-quarters of a mile from her home, off Scheller Avenue, March 17.


The discovery Sunday, March 18, of
Sierra’s purse with folded clothing – namely a pair of pants, T-shirt
and undergarments – inside the purse is baffling to both Van Zandt and
Glass.


The items, which were found about two
miles northwest of Sierra’s home off the shoulder of Santa Teresa
Boulevard, are still being processed by the county crime lab, though
investigators have determined the clothing belonged to Sierra. “A lot
hinges on” whether the clothes found were those she wore out of the
house that day, or if they were an extra change of clothes.


“She may have had some place she was going
later that she may have had a change of clothes, and somebody kidnapped
her and threw it out the window,” Van Zandt said.


However, if she was wearing the clothing
at the time she was kidnapped and the suspect unclothed her, the
evidence could suggest more than one kidnapper was involved, Van Zandt
said.


“It is highly unusual that one person
would be able to kidnap, take total control (of the victim), take her
clothes off, tie her wrists and keep her from running for help,” he
said. “I’ve never heard of (just) one kidnapper being able to” do all
these things within two miles after grabbing their victim, added Van
Zandt, who worked a number of kidnapping cases in his 25 years with the
FBI.


Still, why the kidnapper or kidnappers
would then “have the sense of time” to fold her clothing doesn’t make
any sense, Van Zandt added. “If they had been tossed out (outside the
purse) or jammed into the bag, and they didn’t want her to run because
she wouldn’t run while nude” – this would be a more likely scenario, he
said.


If the kidnapper folded the clothing,
Glass suggested this could reveal an “OCD” or obsessive-compulsive side
to the suspect’s personality, indicating a need to live by patterns –
again suggesting the kidnapper might strike again.


Other information useful to solving the
crime, which police have not released, would be whether the clothing
found was conservative or “sexy,” Glass said.


Crime is “highly solvable”


Investigators haven’t ruled out the
possibility that Sierra left intentionally, intending to return later
that day or weekend, with someone she knew who, unexpectedly to the
teen, had malicious intent.


But Van Zandt said even in that scenario
there would have been “psychological leakage” of her intent prior to
running away. Sierra was an avid user of the Twitter and Tumblr social
network websites before her disappearance, and was a frequent user of
her smartphone.


“It would be highly unlikely she would be
able to make secret plans to disappear for a day, without there being
evidence of those plans in social media transactions,” Van Zandt said.


Investigators have confirmed that nothing
so far on Sierra’s social media accounts indicates she planned to run
away even for a few hours, and there is no evidence she had a troubled
life at home or school.


And while police don’t think social media
played a role in Sierra’s disappearance, Glass isn’t entirely convinced.
Someone who is not even a Facebook friend or Twitter or Tumblr follower
of Sierra’s might have spent some time watching her online activity or
digitally “stalking” her before contacting her. For example, the
kidnapper might have learned from this activity that Sierra was a
cheerleader and fashioned a “fantasy” about her, Glass said.


“They might have picked out that cheerleader type that they could never get when they were in high school,” Glass said.


Sierra’s abduction is a “highly solvable”
crime, due to the same likely communication leakage, Van Zandt
concludes. The kidnapper or kidnappers will be following the story
closely in the news, or someone will notice or remember that they didn’t
show up, or showed up late for work March 16. Especially if there is
more than one kidnapper, it is unlikely even the suspects will be able
to stay quiet about it forever.


“They’ll say something when they’re
drinking or doing drugs with other people,” Van Zandt said. “They won’t
be able to keep their mouth shut.”


The incident conveys once again an unfortunate or “horrible” lesson for parents and other responsible grownups, Glass said.


“Never let young girls be alone,” she said. “In this day and age, nobody can be left alone.”

http://www.gilroydispatch.com/news/crime_fire_courts/search_for_sierra/retired-fbi-agent-weighs-in-on-sierra-kidnapping-scenarios/article_b825bf1a-360c-58f9-81b7-009f99bc4961.html

Another
daylong search for evidence in the disappearance of Morgan Hill teenager
Sierra LaMar is scheduled for Thursday, according to the Santa Clara
County Sheriff's Office.
The sheriff's search and rescue unit,
including three specially trained dogs and 20 people, will focus on
searching in Gilroy and San Martin from 9 a.m. until about 5:30 p.m.
Sierra,
a 15-year-old Sobrato High School student, was last seen early on the
morning of March 16. She was supposed to be heading for a school bus
stop but never showed up for class.
Investigators say it's likely she was abducted.
A
confidential tip line continues to be staffed. So far, more than 1,000
tips have been received, according to the sheriff's office.
Local and federal investigators have worked more than 6,000 hours on the case.
Anyone
with information on the case can contact investigators at 408-808-4500
or the anonymous tip line at 408-808-4431 -- or email tips@sheriff.sccgov.org.

http://www.mercurynews.com/crime-courts/ci_20327022/thursday-search-sierra-lamar-disappearance-focus-san-martin?source=most_viewed

I reiterate my previous theory;
The recovered objects were located north of the crime scene.
I have a strong feeling that the perp or perps then doubled-back south. Check Hollister Hills Park.

Alex Smith
and other 49ers players will join community volunteers Saturday in the
latest search for missing Morgan Hill teenager Sierra LaMar.
This is Smith's second time aiding the search. Smith came out last Saturday, too.
The
search organized by the missing children group KlaasKids Foundation
will be followed by another hunt on Wednesday. It comes after the latest
all-day search by law enforcement agencies Thursday, which focused on
San Martin and Gilroy.
Authorities presume Sierra, 15, was
kidnapped sometime after she went missing the morning of March 16. In
the three weeks since, officials have received more than 1,000 tips and
logged more than 6,000 hours on the case but have been unable to locate
any significant clues beyond the girl's cell phone and bag, which were
found near her home the weekend after her disappearance.
Volunteers
must be at least 18 years old and bring a photo ID to register at
Burnett Elementary School at 85 Tilton Ave. in Morgan Hill. Both
searches will last from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
http://www.montereyherald.com/local/ci_20336970/more-sierra-lamar-searches-planned-this-weekend-next

As sunlight kissed green fields and fruit trees early Saturday, Sierra
LaMar's family awoke to another morning in their three-week-long nightmare.
The bucolic quiet surrounding a part of Silicon Valley
that seems barely removed from its agricultural roots belied a desperate
search for the 15-year-old Morgan Hill girl who has been missing since March 16.
At a shuttered school that's been turned into a
search-and-rescue command center since her disappearance, Sierra's
family announced a $10,000 reward for information leading to her safe return.
Authorities believe Sierra was probably kidnapped while
walking to catch a bus to her high school. In the weeks since, officials
have logged more than 6,000 hours on the case, but they've been unable
to locate any significant clues beyond the girl's cell phone and bag,
found tossed in a field near her home.
Sierra's father, Steve LaMar, said the family scraped together the reward money through
fundraisers and donations to an account set up with Chase bank. "We're
hoping it might give someone the motivation to come forward," he said.
"We're desperate for anything that can bring her home to us."
The search effort is being aided by thousands of volunteers; by the families
of other Bay Area youngsters who have been kidnapped and killed,
including those of Polly Klaas and Xiana Fairchild; and by San Francisco
49ers quarterback Alex Smith. On Saturday, Smith and teammates Joe
Staley, Delanie Walker and Scott Tolzien were among some 500 people
combing southern Santa Clara County for signs of Sierra. The
burly football players were led by Michael Le, whose sister, Michelle,
was murdered last year, allegedly by a jealous former friend.
The NFL stars made it clear they did not welcome the media attention, but
Sierra's sister, Danielle, was grateful for the celebrity support. "When
those kinds of people get involved, it gives us a whole new audience," she said.
A few yards from where she spoke, the parking lot at the
former Burnett Elementary School was crowded with TV satellite trucks.
Car windows in the lot carried painted messages like "Find Sierra LaMar"
and "Come Home, Sierra, We Miss You."
Inside the tiny school
gymnasium, where volunteers from around the Bay Area were triaged for
training, red-shirted members of the KlaasKids Foundation handed out GPS
devices and instructed searchers not to disturb any clues they might find.
Around the corner, Patt Brach oversaw a makeshift kitchen
where tubs of bottled water, orange slices and baked goods awaited the
search teams. Local merchants have been donating coffee, pizza and
bagels by the thousands.
"She could be any of our daughters,"
Brach said, explaining why she and hundreds of others who had never met
the LaMars had been turning out to help.
"Plus," she added, "this is my town. We all moved here because we wanted
a safe place where we could raise our children."
Steve LaMar, a computer engineer at a tech startup in Sunnyvale, was
especially grateful that so many people had shown up on Easter weekend.
"Everyone's been so generous," he said.
The hunt for his petite, brunette daughter stretched farther on Saturday to include a 20-mile
radius of her home. A local pilot has donated the use of a helicopter to
assist searchers, who have been coordinated by a retired Navy
search-and-rescue veteran.
A few miles from the Burnett campus, on
the quiet cul-de-sac where Sierra lived with her mother and her mom's
boyfriend, neighbors had tied yellow ribbons to their lampposts and
mailboxes in a show of solidarity.
Danielle LaMar, a senior at
Sacramento State, has been driving home to Morgan Hill every weekend
since her sister's disappearance. She said she was grateful for the
distraction offered by classwork, a sentiment echoed by her father, who
returned to work last week.
Asked what she might say to Sierra or anyone who might be holding her
against her will, Danielle Lamar said:
"If somebody has her I'd just say, 'Find it in your heart to let her come
home. So many people love her; she's so young and has so much to do with her life.' "
And to Sierra, she would add: "Stay strong. And when you do come home, nobody's going to be mad. Nothing else matters."

Poster's Note: Also, at the link below, you will find a 65 pic slideshow of the community effort
to find out what happened to this girl.

http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_20347755/family-sierra-lamar-announces-10-000-reward-49ers

Ben Margot / AP Photo
In this photo from Monday, March 26, 2012, an undated image of
missing teen Sierra LaMar are seen at Burnett Elementary School in
Morgan Hill, Calif. LaMar disappeared as she headed out for school on
March 16, and her cellphone and bag were found tossed in two separate
locations shortly after.

Sierra LaMar's family offers $10K for safe return

Published: Monday, Apr. 9, 2012 - 12:50 pm

MORGAN HILL, Calif. -- The family of a 15-year-old Northern California girl who's been missing for more than three weeks are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to her safe return.
Authorities believe Sierra LaMar was kidnapped while walking to catch a bus to
school on March 16. They say they haven't found significant evidence
about a kidnapping, but the girl's cellphone and bag were found tossed off the road.
Steve LaMar told the San Jose Mercury News ( http://bit.ly/InzmKm) that the family has gathered the reward money through fundraisers and donations.

Meanwhile, thousands of volunteers have helped search areas of Santa Clara County for clues in Sierra's disappearance. Over the weekend, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith and teammates Joe Staley, Delanie Walker and Scott Tolzien joined the effort.

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/04/09/4401300/sierra-lamars-family-offers-10k.html

Posted: 1:28 p.m. Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Search for missing teen expands into two more locations




Volunteers search for Sierra LaMar
Related




video

MORGAN HILL: Search for missing teen expanded to two new locations

KTVU.com


MORGAN HILL, Calif. —

A
group of authorities and volunteers carried out new search for Morgan
Hill teenager Sierra LaMar Wednesday, expanding into two new locations.
Since
the teen’s disappearance almost a month ago, a $10,000-reward has been
offered for information leading to LaMar’s return and more than a
thousand tips have filtered in, according to Santa Clara County
Sheriff’s deputies.
The dozens who participated in Wednesday
morning’s search targeted a quarry south of Gilroy and a shooting range
near Morgan Hill, marking anything that was deemed “suspicious” for
authorities.
“When you put this amount of people out there you're bound to find clues,” said Ernest Wheeler of Martinez.
Marc Klaas, whose own daughter Polly was kidnapped and killed nearly 20 years ago, has spearheaded the volunteer searches.
“We’d
be looking for things like shallow graves. We’d be looking under,
unfortunately, piles of garbage…. My daughter was found under a pile of
garbage," said Klaas.
Deputies said they also started scouring the
Chesro and Uvas reservoirs earlier that week because they are so close
to LaMar’s mother's house. If sonar images turn up anything, divers
would be dispatched there later this week.
“I have hope that she’s alive and well out there,” said Marlene LaMar, Sierra's mother. “I’m not giving up."
But Klaas wasn’t as optimistic Wednesday morning.
“It's
ominous at best,” said Klaas. “I'm really concerned about the fate of
this young child. Every day that goes by, the more difficult it becomes
to remain optimistic.”
Sierra LaMar disappeared March 16th on her
way to her school’s local bus stop. Her cellphone, purse and clothes
were found nearby her house off Palm and Doughterty avenues days later,
but there have been no other traces of her since then.
Wednesday’s search was scheduled to end around 1 p.m. that day. The next volunteer search was expected to proceed that weekend.
http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/crime-law/search-missing-teen-expands-two-more-locations/nMXMp/

Police are reviewing sonar images taken from local reservoirs as the search continues for missing California teen Sierra LaMar. Photos: Calif. teen goes missing on walk to school bus
CBS San Francisco reports that LaMar, 15, was last seen the morning of March 16, on her way to a school bus stop.
Earlier
this week, sheriff's officials took sonar images of Chesbro and Uvas
reservoirs. The department plans to send out divers later in the week to
investigate any suspicious objects they may find.
Volunteers
gathered Wednesday for another day of searching at Burnett Elementary
School. According to search director Brian Miller, volunteers are
looking in areas previously unsearched.
LaMar has been missing for over three weeks, but her mother Marlene said she is trying to stay optimistic.
"I'm
not going to give up," said Marlene LaMar. "I am determined, and the
determination is what's giving me the energy to continue. The public is
as well. People are coming back for a third and fourth time. I'm truly
astounded."
KCBS reports that about 3,500 people have helped in the search since LaMar disappeared.
There is currently no named person of interest in the case and police are still treating it as a missing person case.
Anyone
with information about Sierra or her whereabouts is asked to contact
Santa Clara County Communications at (408) 299-2311. During business
hours, tipsters can call sheriff's investigators at (408) 808-4500 or
the anonymous tip line at (408) 808-4431.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57413174-504083/missing-teen-sierra-lamar-update-police-review-underwater-images-of-reservoirs/

Where is missing 15-year-old Sierra LaMar? The popular cheerleader
vanished a month ago after leaving her home on her way to school. Police
found her phone, her purse, and her clothes -- but there has been no
sign of LaMar.

David Lohr, a senior crime reporter for the Huffington Post, says
that the clues point to an “experienced sexual predator” abducting young
Sierra. He explains to HLN's Jane Velez-Mitchell how he came to that
terrifying conclusion.

Like David, I have the same feeling about Sierra that I do about Brittanee Drexel. Both exceptionally pretty. Both gone in a flash without a trace.

Volunteers are spending the weekend looking for missing Morgan Hill teen Sierra LaMar.
The KlaasKids Foundation organized Saturday's search.
More than 400 people showed up to the Find Sierra Search Center located at Burnett Elementary School in Morgan Hill.Volunteers walked the neighborhood and hiked through hilly, grassy and
muddy terrain. But they found no signs of the missing cheerleader.
The 15-year-old was last seen a month ago on her way to catch the school bus.
Community search director Brian Miller said: "I do know that having
the community support, the team support and the media support for
keeping the message out there does help. That's what we are going to
keep doing."
The search for LaMar continues Sunday. Anyone wishing to participate can show up at Burnett Elementary at 8 a.m.

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/south_bay&id=8621198

The family of missing Morgan Hill teen Sierra LaMar
will mark the one-month anniversary of her disappearance tomorrow as
searches of the area around her home continue.
LaMar has been missing
since Friday, March 16, when she did not show up for school after
leaving home to walk to a nearby bus stop, according to the Santa Clara
County Sheriff's Office.
Her family will mark the passage of a month with a balloon prayer release
Monday at 6:30 p.m. at Burnett Elementary School.
"This month has truly been a
nightmare," Sierra's father Steve LaMar said. "But our volunteers have
given us faith, hope and the perseverance to continue in our search
efforts. This balloon release will give us a chance for all of us to
get together in prayer for Sierra."
Investigators have
indicated LaMar was probably abducted. Items belonging to LaMar
including her bag and cell phone have been recovered from areas near her home.
The search for LaMar
continued this weekend, with more than 600 volunteers helping search,
pass out fliers and promote fundraising efforts, according to the
KlaasKids Foundation, which is organizing the volunteers.
More than 56 volunteer
search teams went out, extending the search radius to 20 miles from
Sierra's home, foundation officials said.
The search will continue on
Wednesday and next Saturday and Sunday. Volunteers can check in
between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. at Burnettt Elementary School at 85 Tilton Road in Morgan Hill.
Volunteers must be at least 18 years old, with identification
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/LaMar-Family-Remembers-Missing-Teen-One-Month-Later-147530315.html

Crime lab
results have given investigators new leads to chase down in the month
old disappearance of Morgan Hill teenager Sierra LaMar, police said
Monday.
Investigators from the Santa Clara County Sheriff's
Department, however, declined to say what sort of new information sprang
from the lab results, except to say they were drawn from evidence
collected so far in the case.
In the days after her abduction
police found the 15-year-old's bag and clothing sitting not far from the
spot where she vanished. They have also turned up her cell phone and
lap top computer.
But there has been no sign of the bubbly
cheerleader last seen headed on foot to meet her school bus March 16.
Since then there has been a massive outpouring of people looking for
her, including celebrities, scouring many parts of Santa Clara County.
The
hunt will continue with the Sheriff's Office dive team doing an
expanded search of southern Santa Clara County reservoirs and small
bodies of water, spokesman Jose Cardoza said Monday. The search teams
will first scan the water with sonar devices in order to identify spots
of particular interest.
http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_20410945/police-evidence-gives-new-leads-sierra-lamar-abduction

The search for missing teen Sierra LaMar in
Santa Clara County continues as authorities inspect two more reservoirs
and likely take solar images of the waterways in further attempts to
rake up clues about her disappearance.

Police believe the 15-year-old was abducted outside her Morgan Hill
home the morning of March 16 as she was going to school. Santa Clara
County sheriff’s spokesman Jose Cardoza told The Times that authorities
had received more than 1,400 tips and logged about 8,900 personnel hours
on the case, but they remain without a person of interest.

Cardoza said dives into the Chesbro and Uvas reservoirs last week, both within a few miles of Sierra’s home, turned up “nothing related to the case.”

Authorities are now moving onto the Calero and Anderson reservoirs,
located five to 10 miles from the home. They are the only two reservoirs
remaining in the county, and authorities will likely send out divers
late in the week, Cardoza said.

“It’s just to be as thorough as possible,” he said. “The investigators just want to be sure.”

The search to find Sierra — a competitive cheerleader whom friends
and family describe as happy and outgoing — has brought together
thousands of community volunteers.

Sheriff's officials have searched with special off-road vehicles and
used volunteers to scour hillsides, vacant lots and residential streets.
Sierra's family has posted a $10,000 reward for information leading to
her safe return.

The day after she disappeared, deputies found Sierra's cellphone
lying near a road less than a mile from her home. The next day, her
black-and-pink Juicy Couture purse turned up with her clothes folded
neatly inside.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/04/missing-teen-sierra-lamar-authorities-inspect-new-reservoirs.html

Authorities in Santa Clara County say someone
fraudulently posted a tweet this week on missing teen Sierra LaMar’s
Twitter account.

Sheriff's spokesman Jose Cardoza said the department planned to
prosecute the person who posted the fraudulent tweet Wednesday if the
crime occurred in California.

Impersonating someone without their consent on social media is a misdemeanor, he said Thursday.

Police believe the 15-year-old was abducted outside her Morgan Hill
home the morning of March 16 as she was going to school. Authorities
have received more than 1,400 tips and logged about 8,900 personnel
hours on the case, Cardoza told The Times.

In the case of the phony tweet, he said, “it takes away from
resources is the bottom line,” adding that investigators “have
resources” to track down the origin of the tweet.

He said similar incidents have occurred at least once before, and
LaMar’s family is aware such events occur from time to time. Wednesday’s
tweet has been removed from LaMar’s account.

Authorities looking for Sierra have been focusing on reservoirs near the
girl’s home. Cardoza said divers were at Calero Reservoir on Thursday,
one of the only remaining reservoirs in the county that hasn't been
searched.
“It’s just to be as thorough as possible,” he said. “The investigators just want to be sure.”

The search to find Sierra — a competitive cheerleader whom friends
and family describe as happy and outgoing — has brought together
thousands of community volunteers.

Sheriff's officials have searched with special off-road vehicles and
used volunteers to scour hillsides, vacant lots and residential streets.
Sierra's family has posted a $10,000 reward for information leading to
her safe return.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/04/sierra-lamars-twitter-is-hacked-as-search-for-teen-continutes-.html

Volunteers fanned out in Santa Clara Saturday in another search for missing Morgan Hill teen, Sierra LaMar.

Peggy Thompson of the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office sloshed through Coyote Creek trying to catch a scent, hoping to turn up new clues in the search for LaMar.

"We've had a lot of poison oak, ticks," Thompson said. "They've seen three rattlesnakes already today."

They joined more than 100 search and rescue team members from around the bay.

Their mission was to hit hard to reach areas like hillsides and rock formations between Morgan Hill and Gilroy.

"We have searched in past, but didn't focus too much on areas outside the flatlands," said Sgt. Jose Cardoza, of Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office.

At the volunteer center, more than 80 first timers joined many more returning volunteers.

"I'm a parent myself and I think this is every parent's worst nightmare," said first time volunteer Leslie Garcia.

This weekend marks the beginning of week six in the search for LaMar. For her father, Steve LaMar, panic has started to set in.

"I can't believe it's been that much harder," he said. "And then every day just gets just gets harder."

http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/volunteers-search-rough-terrain-looking-sierra-lam/nMfWF/

America's Most Wanted to Feature Sierra LaMar
The rest of the country will learn about the case of Sierra LaMar next Friday night.

By Lori Preuitt | Wednesday, Apr 25, 2012 | Updated 12:51 PM PDT

Volunteers from across the Bay Area made their way to Morgan Hill Wednesday for a weekly search for clues in the disappearance of 15-year-old Sierra LaMar.

The search center had a few extra video cameras on hand, though, thanks to a visit by the national crime show, "America's Most Wanted."

The teen has been missing for five weeks. She was last seen getting ready for school on March 9, but never made it to class. Investigators found her cell phone and a bag that contained clothing in the first days following her disappearance alongside the road, but nothing since.

AMW has already featured the case once, but producers said they wanted to be able to air a more in-depth piece set for next Friday's episode on Lifetime. (Fox no longer carries AMW).

"We wanted to get it on as quickly as we learned about it so we did just do one short story, but we felt this was a story that warranted more attention. Especially since it has gone on for so long that this child has been missing," AMW producer Jocelyn Sigue said.

AMW is spending several days gathering interviews for next week's episode.

On Sunday they sat down with with the KlaasKids foundation and went along with the weekend search team.

On Tuesday, Sierra's father, Steve LaMar, flew to Los Angeles with AMW's famed host Bill Walsh.

The crew also sat down for a interview with Sierra's mother Marlene LaMar. They will finish up the production of the piece Thursday with an interview with Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith.

Sigue said the interviews included tough questions for family members.

"We know that typically when a child goes missing it’s someone who is close to them who is responsible, so we want to make sure like every other news organization that we have all the information we can put out there and gather to help find Sierra," Sigue said.

Investigators have said time and time again that Sierra's parents have been cooperative from the beginning and still are today. They say they have no suspects and few clues to go on.

Anyone with information about Sierra or her whereabouts is asked to call the sheriff's office at (408) 808-4500 or the anonymous tip line at (408) 808-4431.

Tips can also be emailed to tips@sheriff.sccgov.org.

So far over 720 tips have come in via phone calls and emails. All tips continue to be evaluated and followed-up on by investigators, according to the sheriff's office.

The family has also set up a Facebook page.

The KlaasKids Foundation is a non-profit public benefit corporation determined to stop crimes against children and assists families of missing children. You can visit www.klaaskids.org for more information.

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Americas-Most-Wanted-to-Feature-Sierra-LaMar-148923435.html

As
volunteers resume their search for Sierra LaMar on Saturday, the father
of the missing Morgan Hill teenager will announce a larger reward for
information leading to her discovery.
Officials would not say how
much they will be offering for a reward, which had previously been set
at $10,000 after community donations began pouring in. Steve LaMar will
announce the new reward figure at 9:30 a.m. Saturday in Morgan Hill
before local residents resume their latest search.
The searches,
which are not affiliated with police, will last from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on
Saturday and Wednesday. Volunteers must be at least 18 and only need to
bring a photo ID to the registration center at Burnett Elementary
School on 85 Tilton Ave. in Morgan Hill.
Police think Sierra, 15, was abducted after she never made it to the bus stop on March 16.
http://www.mercurynews.com/crime-courts/ci_20499864/reward-be-increased-sierra-lamar-case

The family of Sierra LaMar increased the reward for information leading
to the missing Morgan Hill teen’s safe return home.

“As a result of some
generous contributions and ongoing fundraising, including a large
anonymous contribution, we are able to increase the reward to $25,000,”
announced Steve LaMar, Sierra’s father, at a press conference at Burnett
Elementary School Saturday.

Steve LaMar made the announcement with
Sierra’s mother Marlene LaMar and Marc Klaas, of the KlaasKids
Foundation, while volunteers joined yet another search effort that was
headquartered at the school.

The family initially offered a $10,000 reward earlier this month.
That amount was also generated by fundraising efforts.

Sierra, a 15-year-old sophomore at Sobrato
High School, has been missing since March 16. Police think she was
kidnapped outside her home near Palm and Dougherty avenues in north
Morgan Hill, as she was walking to her regular school bus stop.

The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office
has previously reported having received and investigated close to 2,000
tips on Sierra’s possible whereabouts.

Steve LaMar added at the press conference
Saturday that the family is in “constant communication” with
investigators from the sheriff’s office, but did not indicate if he knew
any details on the investigation of numerous leads that law enforcement
continue to receive.

Fundraising efforts to continue
coordinated volunteer searches and contribute to the reward through the
Sierra LaMar Fund are “ongoing,” Steve LaMar said.

Volunteers were selling T-shirts with
Sierra’s picture printed on them, as well as decorative ribbons and
jewelry at the search center. A number of fundraisers for the Sierra
LaMar Fund are upcoming, including a May 3 self-defense seminar at
Sobrato High School, and a pasta feed May 4 at Holy Spirit Parish Hall in Fremont.

Sierra moved to Morgan Hill in October
2011 with her mother and mother’s boyfriend, from Fremont where she
attended Washington High School.

Investigators so far have reported finding
Sierra’s cell phone March 17, and her purse containing some of her
clothing Marcy 18. The items were found in two different places along
Santa Teresa Boulevard, along a northwesterly route from Sierra’s home.

On Saturday by 11 a.m., about 150
volunteers showed up to participate in the search for Sierra. About 100
of those were returning volunteers who have participated in earlier
search efforts.

The KlaasKids Foundation, a nationwide
nonprofit that offers search services for the families of missing
children, organized the first searches for Sierra starting March 27.

In recent weeks, the search efforts have
become more locally organized. Morgan Hill resident Brian Miller, a
family friend of the LaMars, is the director of the volunteer operation.

Miller said Saturday that he went through
training courses with KlaasKids staff in order to become the local
director. He added he and other searchers stay in close contact with the
foundation, as well as ChildQuest International and other organizations.

Although the number of volunteers seems to
have dropped off in recent weeks, volunteer Ernie Wheeler said despite
his 40-plus years conducting professional search-and-rescue missions,
the local effort to find Sierra remains unique.

“The news coverage has been phenomenal, and the response from the public'
has been unbelievable,” Wheeler said.

Among those searching Saturday were new
volunteers Steve Seelig and Ed Mitchell, both of San Jose, and both
members of the Bikers Against Child Abuse Silicon Valley chapter.

BACA is an international club, with more than 400 chapters in the U.S., Seelig said.

“This month is National Child Abuse Awareness Month, and we’ve been
wanting to come join the search” for Sierra, Seelig said.

Sierra LaMar is about 5-feet, 2-inches tall with a thin build and dark hair.

For more information on the Sierra LaMar Search Center, call 201-6364.

Anyone with information on the case can contact
Santa Clara County Communications at 299-2311, or e-mail tips@sheriff.sccgov.org.
Callers can call Sheriff’s Investigators at 808-4500 or the anonymous
tip line at 808-4431. Information or tips can also be sent via
sccgov.org/portal/site/sheriff or by text at 421-6760.
http://www.gilroydispatch.com/articles_from_morgan_hill/reward-for-sierra-s-return-raised-to/article_b980608b-2b49-560a-9dad-48a8c53620bf.html

A red Volkswagen Jetta with a black hood was associated with the
disappearance of Sierra LaMar, the 15-year-old South Bay girl who has
been missing since March, Santa Clara County sheriff's investigators said Monday.

Santa Clara County Sheriff / Courtesy

Santa Clara County investigators say a car
similar to this red sedan may possibly be linked to the case of Sierra
LaMar, the Morgan Hill teen who went missing in March 2012.

Authorities released a photo of a red 1990s, four-door Jetta, which
they said resembles the one they are looking for. Unlike the car in the
photo, the one being sought has a black hood, investigators said.

Sheriff's Sgt. Jose Cardoza said investigators had focused on the car
from witnesses' descriptions and by viewing surveillance video from
homes, businesses and buses in Sierra's neighborhood.

The Jetta was seen in the general area of where Sierra lives near
Morgan Hill and where her belongings were found after she vanished, said
Cardoza, who declined to elaborate.

Her mother, Marlene LaMar, said she last saw Sierra at home about 6
a.m. March 16 before the girl was to leave to catch a bus to school at
nearby Palm and Dougherty avenues.

A day later, search teams found her cell phone off the side of the
road near Santa Teresa Boulevard and Scheller Avenue, in the opposite
direction of the bus stop. The day after that, they found her Juicy
Couture-brand purse near Santa Teresa and Laguna Avenue, a short
distance from where her phone was found.

Inside were a neatly folded pair of pants, undergarments and gray
San Jose Sharks sweatshirt her family believes she may have been wearing
the day she disappeared, authorities said.

Also found near the bag were Sierra's schoolbooks, said Sheriff
Laurie Smith. The purse and books were "wedged between a building and a
big cactus" or bush, Smith said.

Dive teams have searched several reservoirs as well as smaller percolation ponds in the Morgan Hill area.

The sheriff's office also said Monday that an empty handcuff box and
used condoms found within 2 miles of the teenager's home were not
related to Sierra's disappearance. Investigators had initially thought
there might be a connection when the items were found March 29.

Sierra is 5 feet 2 inches tall with a thin build, dark hair and an olive complexion.

Anyone with information is asked to call sheriff's investigators at
(408) 808-4500 or an anonymous tip line at (408) 808-4431, or text (408)
421-6760. People can also e-mail the sheriff's office at mailto: tips@sheriff.sccgov.org, or find more information from the Facebook page Find Sierra LaMar.


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/05/07/BADD1OEFRN.DTL#ixzz1uEhrzeTp

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Investigators have
located a vehicle that may be connected to the abduction of a Northern
California teenager who's been missing for nearly two months,
authorities said Tuesday.

Santa Clara County
sheriff's Sgt. Jose Cardoza wouldn't say where or when the red
Volkswagen Jetta was recovered. Surveillance cameras and witnesses put
the car near the area where authorities believe 15-year-old Sierra LaMar
was kidnapped in Suburban San Jose on March 16.

"It's still an open
investigation," Cardoza told The Associated Press on Tuesday following a
briefing in San Jose. "Our investigators do not want to compromise the
case. We do not want to jeopardize anything."

Authorities believe Sierra
was kidnapped near her home in Morgan Hill while she was walking to a
bus stop on her way to school. The car's discovery comes a day after the
sheriff's office released a photo of a red Jetta that's similar to the
car linked to the disappearance.

Investigators are now
looking for anyone who saw the car - which also has a black hood - in
the area and who may have been riding in it at the time of Sierra's
abduction, Cardoza said.

"We really need the public
to come forward and help provide us with any information they may have
about this vehicle," Cardoza said. "We want to know if they saw it in
Morgan Hill, outside of Morgan Hill during the time she went missing so
our investigators can piece everything together."

Cardoza said investigators asked Sierra's family asked about the car, but they have no knowledge of it.

Sierra's mother, Marlene
LaMar, told KGO-TV on Monday that the car is just the kind of solid lead
her family has been hoping for.

"I know everybody out there is going to do everything possible to report the sighting of this car," LaMar said.

The mother said she is
convinced her daughter is still alive, and she had a direct message for
anyone involved with her disappearance.

"I am not looking for
trouble or a conviction. I just want - we all want her safe return. We
all want this nightmare to end, and that's my plea out there," she said.

Despite Sierra being missing for nearly two months, there are no indications that she is dead, Cardoza said.

Dive teams were searching
private ponds in rural Morgan Hill on Tuesday and were expected to
search in unincorporated reservoirs in south San Jose, Cardoza said.
http://www.katv.com/story/18214323/authorities-find-car-sought-in-missing-teen-case

A Santa Clara County sheriff's spokesman said
Wednesday the department's dive team is searching "small ponds and
waterways" in an unincorporated area of South San Jose in its search for
evidence in the case of missing 15-year-old Sierra LaMar.
The announcement comes one day after officials located a red
Volkswagen Jetta believed to be connected to her March 16 abduction.
The mid-1990s four-door sedan with a black hood had been spotted on
numerous surveillance videos near Sierra's Morgan Hill home the morning
she disappeared, said Sheriff's Sgt. Jose Cardoza.

The car also appeared in videos taken in the area where the
cheerleader's purse and school books were recovered a few days later.
Its occupants were not visible on the videos, said Cardoza, who declined
to disclose how or where the car was found.

"Investigators do have the vehicle in their custody but are asking
the public to report any sightings of this vehicle and/or occupants
during the time surrounding Sierra’s disappearance," Cardoza said in a
statement Tuesday. "The sheriff’s office is specifically interested in
hearing from anyone who may have seen this vehicle or had contact with
the occupant(s) during the month of March within Santa Clara County or
bordering counties."

Sierra's cellphone was also located the day after her disappearance --
in the opposite direction from the school bus stop where police believe
she was headed. A massive community search effort has been underway in
Morgan Hill, south of San Jose.
In addition, divers have searched reservoirs and investigators have
followed up on thousands of leads. Volunteer searches were continuing
Wednesday and Saturday, according to the KlaasKids Foundation, which has
organized them.

The foundation has also announced that the "America's Most Wanted" TV show will feature Sierra's disappearance Friday.

Anyone with information on the case should contact sheriff's
investigators at (408) 808-4500 or the anonymous tip line at (408)
808-4431. Emailed tips should be send to: tips@sheriff.sccgov.org.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/05/missing-teen-sierra-lamar-teams-to-search-small-ponds-waterways.html

Cops doing more searches in Sierra LaMar case

Associated Press
Friday, May 11, 2012 (05-11) 10:42 PDT

Morgan Hill, Calif. (AP) -- Authorities are conducting another search for clues in the case of a missing 15-year-old Morgan Hill girl.

The new search comes just days after investigators found what could be a key piece of evidence in Sierra LaMar's disappearance. They recovered a red sedan that was seen in the area where they believe Sierra was abducted near her home on the morning of March 16.

Santa Clara County Sheriff's Sgt. Jose Cardoza says searchers are focusing Friday on open fields and construction sites in south Morgan Hill. He says dive teams also are combing two reservoirs in the south San Jose area.

Sheriff's officials have released few details about their leads in the case, including what, if anything, was found in connection with the red sedan. They say they don't want to compromise the investigation.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2012/05/11/state/n104252D51.DTL#ixzz1uabLmaEH