Crime & Safety

Man Arrested in Connection to Sierra LaMar Disappearance

Antolin Garcia-Torres, 21, of San Martin has been arrested.

A Morgan Hill man has been arrested in connection to kidnapping of missing teen Sierra Lamar, investigators with the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office said Monday night.

Antolin Garcia-Torres, 21, has been booked into the Santa Clara County Jail on one count of murder and one count of kidnapping Monday night, Sheriff’s Sgt. Jose Cardoza wrote in a prepared statement released Monday night.

Detectives reportedly took Garcia-Torres into custody from a Morgan Hill shopping plaza at around 6 p.m., and questioned him for two hours before booking him, according to media reports.

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Garcia-Torres' DNA was found on clothing items belonging to Sierra that were located in her backpack, a KTVU article states. However, it’s not clear where the backpack came from.

Sierra, 15, disappeared after she left for school on the morning of March 16.

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Investigators later found Sierra's cellphone off of a roadway near her home around Dougherty and Palm avenues as well as her black, Juicy-brand purse.

Earlier this month, investigators located a red Volkswagen Jetta believed to be linked to Sierra's disappearance.

Hundreds of volunteers have been scouring the area surrounding Sierra's home since the sheriff's office reclassified the case as an abduction.

A news conference has been scheduled for Tuesday morning to provide more details about the arrest, Cardoza said.

This report will be updated once more details are available.

Bay City News Contributed to this report.

For more reports on the Sierra LaMar case and the most recent updates, refer to the Sierra LaMar Disappearance: Comprehensive Updates and Information page on Gilroy Patch.


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