Investigators looking for missing north Morgan Hill teen Sierra LaMar will continue their efforts to find her by examining sonar images of the depths of local reservoirs taken earlier this week, according to a sheriff’s spokesman.
The images were taken at Uvas and Chesbro reservoirs, and when processed will identify objects below the surface of the water, Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Sgt. Jose Cardoza said.
After the images are analyzed, sheriff’s divers will return to the reservoirs and take an up-close look at any suspicious objects that were detected by sonar, Cardoza said.
Investigators are concentrating on the two reservoirs for now due to their close proximity to Sierra’s mother’s home, where the 15-year-old Sobrato High School sophomore lives with mother Marlene LaMar and mother’s boyfriend.
Police are using the same “side-scan” sonar technology that authorities used to search for the bodies of Laci Peterson of Modesto County, a retired CHP officer in Stampede Reservoir in Truckee, a fisherman in Bethany Reservoir in Alameda County, a swimmer in Avocado Lake in Fresno County and a cold case homicide victim in Santa Clara, Cardoza said.
The side-scan underwater sonar detector was successful in finding the missing people in two of those cases, he added.
The device is shaped like a torpedo and towed just underneath and behind the sheriff’s dive team’s boat, Cardoza explained. The device sends and receives acoustic signals to the left and right, and those signals in turn create reflections and shadows of the terrain and objects on the floor of the waterways.
Investigators will analyze the reflections and shadows to determine if they are important to the investigation, Cardoza said.
If an object is depicted in the sonar images, divers can locate where to dive for it within 25 to 50 feet, Cardoza said.
Sierra was reported missing March 16, and authorities think she was abducted on the way to her regular morning bus stop near the intersection of Palm and Dougherty avenues. Sierra usually walks to the bus stop, but she did not board the bus or attend school March 16.
The only evidence investigators have reported finding so far includes Sierra’s cell phone, found in a field off Scheller Avenue March 17. And her purse containing folded clothing were found off the side of Santa Teresa Boulevard March 18, according to investigators.
The county crime lab continues to process those items, as well as an empty cardboard box marked “stainless steel handcuffs” and two used condoms found at the west end of Palm Avenue March 29.
Uvas and Chesbro reservoirs are located in the western foothills of unincorporated Morgan Hill.
The sheriff’s office off-road enforcement team will be sending out deputies on motor dirt bikes later this week to canvass remote and rural areas in south Santa Clara County, Cardoza said.
“The purpose of canvassing in these remote areas is to check for possible crime scenes or possible items of evidentiary value,” Cardoza added.
The KlaasKids Foundation announced its “Sierra LaMar Search Center” will be open again this weekend, April 14 and April 15, at Burnett Elementary School, 85 Tilton Ave.
Anyone who is 18 or older with photo identification can volunteer to search with the foundation. People can volunteer by showing up at the school from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on those days, and are asked to wear clothing appropriate for potentially rugged, muddy terrain and wet weather.
The KlaasKids Foundation is also seeking supplies to keep their search efforts going, including office supplies and bottled water.
Sierra LaMar is about 5-feet, 2-inches tall with a thin build and dark hair.
KlaasKids also announced Wednesday that Sierra’s family, which last week announced the offering of a $10,000 reward for information leading to Sierra’s safe return, has set up an “official” web page devoted to the teen and the efforts to find her. The website can be found at findsierralamar.com.
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 send an e-mail to
ti**@sh*****.org
.
During normal business hours 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 the Sheriff’s Office website at sccgov.org/portal/site/sheriff. Information can also be submitted by text at 421-6760.
