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Sheriff Says Abduction By Acquaintance Possible In Sierra LaMar Case

MORGAN HILL (KCBS) – About 150 volunteers showed up on Wednesday as the search parameters were extended to include areas north of Palm Avenue and south of Bailey Road in the search for missing Morgan Hill teen Sierra LaMar.

Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith said the most likely scenario is that Sierra was abducted by an acquaintance.

KCBS' Mike Colgan Reports:

"An acquaintance could be anything. It cannot just be someone that she knows," said Smith. "It can be someone that she's comfortable seeing in the area that she knows would be there, someone that is really known to the area. But we don't believe she ran away or left voluntarily."

Family spokesperson Tonya Miller said they are glad to hear that dive teams are searching Uvas Reservoir and Parkway Lake.

"We need to find her and I'm glad that they've upped it to no longer really a runaway, that she's missing and in danger because that's what we've been saying all along," said Miller. "We don't think she ran away. If this is what it takes for increased efforts to get her home, absolutely let's do it."

The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department said that they have received more than 500 tips in the case so far.

LaMar was last seen leaving for school on the morning of March 16.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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