Authorities Believe Sierra LaMar is Alive, Volkswagen to Undergo Forensic Examination

Authorities close to the Sierra LaMar case believe the missing Morgan Hill teen is still alive, and will be performing a forensic examination of the , the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office announced.

"We still do believe she's alive. We don't have any evidence leading us in the direction that she's no longer alive," Sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Jose Cardoza said.

Investigators believe Sierra may have been kidnapped in the mid-1990s Jetta after reviewing surveillance footage that repeatedly captured the vehicle in locations key to the LaMar case, like near Sierra's mother's home and driving near the .

Police , one day after they announced the vehicle was linked to the Fremont native's disappearance.

Cardoza called the development "pretty significant" during a press conference Tuesday afternoon. He said investigators know who the car's owner is but said there is no person of interest in the case yet. He declined to say where or how the car was found.

Sierra, 15, left home for school the morning of March 16 and has
not been seen since.

To read the full report or for previous coverage of the Sierra LaMar case, refer to the Sierra LaMar Disappearance: Comprehensive Updates and Information page on Gilroy Patch.

—Bay City News