Police arrested a man they say is connected with missing teen Sierra LaMar, according to Steve LaMar, the missing teen’s father.
Antolin Garcia-Torres, 21, was arrested about 6 p.m. Monday evening at the Safeway grocery store in Tennant Station shopping center and transported to the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department in San Jose. He’s been charged with one count of murder and one count of kidnapping, said Sheriff Laurie Smith.
Sources say DNA evidence found in her purse two days after she went missing March 16 links the man to LaMar.
He is reported to have worked at both Safeway stores in Morgan Hill, but Safeway employees declined to comment.Â
Police think Sierra was kidnapped from just outside her home near the intersection of Palm and Dougherty avenues in northwest Morgan Hill shortly after 7 a.m.
The last known communication she had with someone she knows is a text sent from her phone to a friend about 7:11 a.m.
Garcia-Torres is the owner of the red Jetta that investigators released as a clue to the public about two weeks ago. On May 11, Sierra’s story was featured on “America’s Most Wanted.” It’s been reported by other media outlets that a tips generated from the episode led authorities closer to Garcia-Torres.
Laurie Smith spoke to ABC 7 at 11 p.m. to reporters in San Jose.Â
“We don’t want anyone else hurt,” Smith said. “We don’t want anymore little girls taken.”
Smith said the sheriff’s office will answer questions at a scheduled press conference at 8 a.m. Tuesday in San Jose.
Smith said Garcia-Torres was under surveillance in Morgan Hill.
“We have probable cause to charge him with one count of kidnapping and one count of murder,” said Smith when asked if Garcia-Torres worked alone. Smith did not address whether or not Sierra’s body has been found.
