Sierra LaMar Missing: 5 Sex Offenders Arrested During Sierra Lamar Investigation

Authorities investigating the case of missing California teenager Sierra LaMar have arrested five sex offenders.

The arrests come after authorities interviewed nearly 300 sex offenders in regard to the teen's unsolved disappearance.

"As a result of contacting ... sex offender registrants, for information in the Sierra LaMar case, the Sheriff's Office Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement Task Force has arrested five separate persons, and is investigating several others," said Sgt. Jose Cardoza, a spokesman for the Santa Clara County Office of the Sheriff.

According to Cardoza, the men were arrested for violating sex offender registration requirements.

LaMar was last seen around 6 a.m. March 16, when she left her Morgan Hill home in Santa Clara County to attend classes at Sobrato High School. The sophomore never made it to the bus or school. Her mother learned LaMar was missing when she got a message from the school's automated attendance system at 6 p.m., police said.

PHOTOS: HELP FIND SIERRA FACEBOOK PAGE: (Article Continues Below)

Loading Slideshow

• Sierra LaMar

  Sierra LaMar, 15, vanished after leaving her Morgan Hills, Calif. home on March 16 and headed for school.

• Sierra LaMar

  Police found LaMar's cellphone on Saturday, March 17 -- the day after she was last seen. Cops said they're searching her phone records for clues.

• Sierra LaMar

  LaMar was a cheerleader in high school before moving to a new town, Morgan Hill, with her mother in October. Her parents are divorced and police said that both were cooperating with the investigation.

• Sierra LaMar

  Police are treating LaMar's disappearance as a missing person case. Her parents insist it's unlikely that she ran away.

• Sierra LaMar

  LaMar is 5-feet-2-inches tall with a thin frame. She was carrying a pink and black Juicy purse when she left home.

• Sierra LaMar

  Anyone with information about LaMar may contact the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office at [phone]

• Sierra LaMar

• Peter Robinson

  Deputy Peter Robinson, of the Santa Clara County Sheriff Underwater Search Unit, surveys a pond on Tuesday, April 17, 2012 in Morgan Hill, Calif. The search for missing 15-year-old Northern California girl expanded on Tuesday as investigators followed new leads one month since her disappearance. The Santa Clara County Sheriff's office would not say what the new leads were in the case of Sierra LaMar, except that they came from evidence already collected. The teen was seen leaving her Morgan Hill home on March 16. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

• Sierra LaMar

  A sign with a photo of missing teen Sierra LaMar is posted at an intersection on Tuesday, April 17, 2012 in Morgan Hill, Calif. The search for missing 15-year-old Northern California girl expanded on Tuesday as investigators followed new leads one month since her disappearance. The Santa Clara County Sheriff's office would not say what the new leads were in the case of Sierra LaMar, except that they came from evidence already collected. The teen was seen leaving her Morgan Hill home on March 16. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

• Santa Clara County Sheriffs underwater search unit

  The Santa Clara County Sheriffs underwater search unit prepares to lower a zodiac into Calero Reservoir to look for clues in the disappearance of missing teenage girl Sierra LaMar Tuesday, March 27, 2012, in Morgan Hill, Calif. LaMar disappeared as she headed out for school on March 16, and her cellphone and bag were found tossed in two separate locations shortly after. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

• Sierra LaMar

  HOLD FOR STORY: In this photo from Monday, March 26, 2012, posters bearing images of missing teen Sierra LaMar are seen at Burnett Elementary School in Morgan Hill, Calif. LaMar disappeared as she headed out for school on March 16, and her cellphone and bag were found tossed in two separate locations shortly after. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

On March 17, authorities found Lamar's cellphone discarded along a road roughly three-quarters of a mile northwest of her mother's home. The condition of the phone indicates it may have been tossed from a vehicle.

The following day, the sheriff's office found a purse and a backpack containing LaMar's clothing in a location about 2 miles in the opposite direction of her bus stop -- and a mile from where investigators recovered her cellphone.

Forensic examinations of the items have not revealed any new leads.

Because LaMar does not have a history of running away and has a close relationship with her family, authorities suspect she might have been abducted. Still, police have no suspects and no persons of interest at this time.

So far authorities have investigated more than 1,600 tips.

The Sheriff's Dive Team plans to resume water searches this week in the southern Santa Clara County area. Investigators will use side scan sonar, which detects objects below the surface levels, to identify areas of interest and will then send divers in to investigate.

"Parkway Lakes in south San Jose will be checked early this week, followed by Anderson and Coyote reservoirs," Cardoza said. "Almaden and Guadalupe reservoirs also in south San Jose, will be checked later this week."

Sierra LaMar is 5 feet 2 inches tall with a thin build. She has brown eyes and long, black hair, and was last seen with a Juicy brand purse with a black and pink design.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact the sheriff's department at 408-808-4500 or the anonymous tip line at 408-808-4431. Email tips can be sent to [e-mail].

Earlier on HuffPost:

Comments

[MaMaBass]

07:55 PM on 05/17/2012

I hope they find her. But to comment on this article in particular. THANK GOODNESS! I live in San Francisco with a small child. My Mother in law and her son (Brother in law a child) live where this girl was "taken" and as a mother i am glad these creeps were taken off the street

[foreverdemocrat]

09:42 PM on 05/04/2012

Why make it seem like these offenders had something to do with this woman's disappearance, because they were arrested?

...hit piece article on sex offenders, again, I guess.

[ChoppyBob]

09:47 PM on 06/10/2012

poor sex offenders.

they should all be lined up and shot.

[whiteandamerican]

09:12 PM on 05/04/2012

ONCE AGAIN, why is there no information or investigation on the mother's boyfriend that lived with them in Morgan Hill - he was supposedly the last person to see Sierra alive .

[whiteandamerican]

09:09 PM on 05/04/2012

why is there no information on the "boyfriend" of Sierra's mother. He was the last one to see her alive - allegedly, they lived together in Morgan Hill and he is NOT around for the media coverage, the searches, or anything . His name hasn't been released or his picture nor any other information.

[evolvedtg]

01:11 AM on 05/04/2012

For sex offenders to be released they ought to have mandatory blinding. Period.

[Wehms2]

03:13 AM on 05/11/2012

Interesting point of view........IF they're actually guilty, maybe(?) Ever had anybody LIE about YOU? Have you seen the stories of guys let out of prison? even off of DEATH ROW? because DNA PROVED they had been falsely accused & convicted of something they never did?

Be NOT too quick to Judge..........

[evolvedtg]

05:48 PM on 05/11/2012

Do SORA hearings regularly in my job. Confessions.  Promises to do again if let out. DNA provided at trial.  How about then?  Tired of women and children being murdered by repeat offenders.  Level III only, then.  They're already doing chemical castrations.  But we're talking two opposite extreme ends of a spectrum.  Basically, as angry as you are about targeting sexual predators of children, there happens to be a reason there IS  sex offender registry, Right?

[chadizzy]

05:37 PM on 05/03/2012

So sad what a beautiful young lady!

[StillMadMatt]

01:36 PM on 05/03/2012

Betrayed in a world of traitors. Sometimes this type of news makes me hate the world. And we are all part of it.

[LeoChild]

09:39 AM on 05/03/2012

Sierra could have been taken by a stranger that drove by her everyday. I take the same routes to school and work, and I always see the same kids walking to school or waiting for the school bus.I think this was planned. If a child caught the eye of some sicko they would know that Sierra is always walking down the road at a particular time every day.....and would plan accordingly. I hope shes found alive.

[allisonisa39e]

01:51 AM on 05/03/2012

The guilty ones should be castrated and another amputation performed.

[Onika M Chalk]

11:45 PM on 05/02/2012

What an unfortunate situation. Parents need to monitor their children closely. Not sure if the image shown is a computer/skype image, but a lot of these young girls are communicating with men on the internet (to catch a predator.... these kids have no idea what they're up against in this world. I hope she is found alive.

[Grechen Allen]

03:33 AM on 05/03/2012

She was on her way to school...it says nothing in there about being online. Blame the victim, dont think about the education our society needs on treating others with respect regardless of gender, race, age, religion, etc. There s an epidemic of violence against women, in this case a child, out there...and no one is doing anything about it.

[Onika M Chalk]

10:26 PM on 05/03/2012

Understood. My reference was also to situations that I know of. My statement was merely a precautionary measure parents should take to PROTECT their children. Who knows what happened.....

[mbelsanti]

05:45 PM on 05/07/2012

I agree with you. Sadly if you look at the pictures of her, they appear to be ones she took of herslf to post on Facebook or other social media. This world is full of sick people and an innocent young girl might think shes talking to a boy her age online yet it really is a predator. Just makes me sick. I hope she is found alive, but it's been two months and the fact that her cell and purse were discarded in different areas doesn't bode well.

[danglingm]

11:10 PM on 05/02/2012

Why do the papers keep describing her appearance as having "brown eyes and long, black hair, and was last seen with a Juicy brand purse with a black and pink design" when the article clearly states that they found her purse tossed 2 miles from the bus stop? Why describe it if it's now evidence in police custody?

[stayingsaneinthemadness]

07:08 AM on 05/03/2012

I'm guessing so that if anyone saw anything suspicious and happened to see her walking that morn before she disappeared , the description might ring a bell.

[rewith85man]

10:55 PM on 05/02/2012

Well, I am glad that they arrested some sex offenders. This time, they should keep them locked up or give them the death penalty.

That'll bring such relief to the victims and the rest of the world.

[stayingsaneinthemadness]

07:09 AM on 05/03/2012

At least life behind bars. I totally agree. You touch a child, you're done.

[mbelsanti]

05:46 PM on 05/07/2012

Agreed. Sorry I don't believe there is any rehabilitating these animals.

[whitney1]

10:42 PM on 05/02/2012

Can a sex ofender ever be cured ?

[scrapman01]

12:44 AM on 05/03/2012

No , they cannot . It is proven and even the sex offenders themselves will say "they have no control". When a sex offender is arrested , chances are , there are many more victims , they just happened to get caught THIS time . They need to be exterminated like the vermin they are . They will always be a threat to our families while free and forever a drain on society and our tax dollars while locked up.....get rid of them , they serve no purpose on this earth but to cause harm to others . But hey , that's just me

[Grechen Allen]

03:35 AM on 05/03/2012

There needs to do something before this people become sex offenders..educating young people...this IS NOT acceptable behavior, how they treat women, kids, and men. And I am sick of hearing about these girls going missing.

[mbelsanti]

05:47 PM on 05/07/2012

Yes like roaches or rats, I totally agree!

[yeass]

10:42 PM on 05/02/2012

For someone to take her at 6 am would more likely be someone that was on their way to work or school to be up and about that time in the morning. I would check everyone that didn't go to work or school on that day. Nice little girl and I hope they find her.

[IFGA]

10:33 PM on 05/02/2012

I'll not defend these men, however the first thing that comes to my mind is a line from the old movie of "Casablanka"; "Round up all the usual suapects."

[Grechen Allen]

03:36 AM on 05/03/2012

Yes...there is a reason why they are the usual and why they are first looked at and why 5 were arrested....they did something wrong.