Sheriff’s office plans to send divers into local waterways to search for Sierra LaMar and received some tips in response to Friday night’s airing of a segment on the missing Morgan Hill teen on “America’s Most Wanted.”
In response to some anomalous sonar images that cast shadow-looking shapes on the bottoms of Anderson, Coyote and Almaden reservoirs last week, the Santa Clara County sheriff’s office dive team plans to go into the water and more closely examine the objects, according to sheriff’s Sgt. Jose Cardoza.
The images picked up by the side-scan sonar devices last week don’t necessarily indicate the presence of Sierra’s remains or evidence in the case, but they are unusual enough for authorities to take a closer look.
“They don’t know for sure until they send in actual divers,” Cardoza said.
The dive schedule is tentative, Cardoza added, but they planned to dive into Coyote today, Anderson on Wednesday and Almaden on Thursday.
Sierra, a 15-year-old sophomore at Sobrato High School, has been missing since March 16. Investigators think she was kidnapped outside her home in north Morgan Hill, as she was walking to her school bus stop at Palm and Dougherty avenues.
Last week, authorities announced they recovered a red four-door 90s-model Volkswagen Jetta with a black hood they were able to link to Sierra’s disappearance. Few other details about the car were released, such as where it was found or if any evidence indicated that Sierra was inside the vehicle.
But the sheriff’s office is asking anyone who might have seen the vehicle just before, during or just after March 16 to call them and let investigators know.
Investigators and producers of the television show “America’s Most Wanted” have also received some tips in response to a segment on Sierra that aired Friday night, Cardoza said.
As of Monday, the sheriff’s office had been forwarded “at least half a dozen tips” generated by the television show, which featured interviews with Sierra’s parents and Sheriff Laurie Smith.
“I’m sure the tips will keep trickling in,” Cardoza said.
Anyone with information on the Volkswagen Jetta identified by investigators, or on Sierra’s possible whereabouts, can contact the sheriff’s tip line at 299-2311 or ti**@sh*****.org. Callers can call Sheriff’s Investigators at 808-4500 or the anonymous tip line at 808-4431. Tips can also be sent via sccgov.org/portal/site/sheriff or by text at 421-6760.
