Search Continues For Missing Orange County College Student
CASTAIC (CBSLA.com) — A coordinated search effort continued Tuesday for a missing college student whose car was found overturned near Castaic Lake with his wallet, cell phone and laptop inside.
Sheriff's resources from Parks patrol, Santa Clarita Valley and Los Angeles are assisting in the search for 19-year-old Bryce Laspisa, whose Toyota Highlander was found on its side on the main boat launch access road early Friday morning.
In addition to finding Laspisa's wallet, cell hone and laptop, police searching the vehicle said the rear window was broken with an emergency tool kept in the center console. Some blood was also found inside.
Laspisa left Northern California Wednesday night reportedly after breaking up with his girlfriend.
The Laguna Niguel college student initially did not tell his parents he was making the long road trip. His family had previously contacted the Orange County Sheriff's Department to report him missing on Thursday.
Laspisa was later removed from the missing person's database after Kern County Sheriff's deputies located him in the Buttonwillow area Thursday evening.
His parents said they finally spoke with their son when he was leaving Buttonwillow at 11 p.m.
"He called me again at 2:08 a.m. [Friday] on my cell phone and said, 'Mom, I pulled off the 5 [Freeway]. I'm going to sleep in my car,'" said Laspisa's mother, Karen.
She never heard from her son after that.
On Friday, Sheriff's Parks patrol deputies coordinated a search of the area, including the lake and surrounding mountain areas. Authorities dispatched a sheriff's patrol helicopter, search dogs, and Sheriff's Parks patrol deputies to aid in the search.
An underwater search operation was conducted in Castaic Lake. Sheriff's deputies on horseback also searched remote terrain in the surrounding area.
Mike and Karen Laspisa are also reaching out to the public on Facebook.
Bryce Laspisa is described as a white male with red hair and blue eyes. He is 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs 170 pounds.
Laspisa was last seen wearing white cargo shorts, a blue and white checkered shirt, and white and red Nike shoes.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Missing Persons Detail Detective Chris Carns (323) 890-5500 of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Homicide Bureau.
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