Investigators: Walnut Creek, SJ Kidnap Attempts Not Linked To Sierra LaMar Case
MORGAN HILL (CBS SF) -- Investigators do not believe recent kidnapping attempts in Walnut Creek and San Jose are related to the Sierra LaMar case, according to the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office.
In a statement Wednesday, sheriff's Sgt. Jose Cardoza said no link has been found between the 15-year-old Morgan Hill girl's March 16 disappearance and the mid-March attempted kidnapping of a 13-year-old girl in Walnut Creek.
On Tuesday, while announcing that investigators had recovered a red Volkswagen Jetta they believe to be linked to Sierra's disappearance, Cardoza said the sheriff's office has also ruled out a possible connection to a March 23 kidnap attempt in San Jose.
In the San Jose case, a man driving what police described as a red, compact passenger car tried to kidnap a 16-year-old girl using some type of electric device, possibly a stun gun, police said.
In the Walnut Creek case, a man driving a faded red older-model compact sedan tried twice in two days to lure a 13-year-old girl into his car.
The first time, on the afternoon of March 14, the man approached the Walnut Creek Intermediate School student after she got off of a school bus. He spoke with her and offered her a ride, but she declined.
The next day, the same girl saw the man waiting near the back gate of her school as she was leaving for the day. Police tried to locate the man but he was not found.
The search for Sierra LaMar is continuing, and Cardoza said Wednesday that the sheriff's dive team is continuing to search small ponds and waterways on private properties near Monterey Highway and Bailey Avenue in unincorporated San Jose.
The Jetta seized by authorities is undergoing a forensic examination, and investigators have not named a suspect or person of interest in the case.
Anyone with information is asked to contact sheriff's investigators at (408) 808-4500 or call the anonymous tip line at (408) 808-4431.
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