Crime & Safety

Tipsters Respond to National Coverage of Sierra LaMar

America's Most Wanted has received tips ranging from a possible sighting of the Volkswagen Jetta to potential areas of interest.

America’s Most Wanted has received tips ranging from potential areas of interest to a sighting of the . The tips were relayed the weekend after the national crime show aired its .

Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Sgt. Jose Cardoza said AMW has been forwarding tips to the Sheriff’s Office as they’re received. Four tips came in last weekend, and more tips may have been sent throughout the week, Cardoza said.

Although Cardoza couldn’t specifically comment on the anonymous tips, he did say what cities they came from and vaguely mentioned their relation to the LaMar case.

The first tip came from a caller about 700 miles away from Morgan Hill. A person in Scottsdale, Arizona reported a possible sighting of the red Volkswagen Jetta. The caller remembers seeing a similar vehicle before , Cardoza said.

The subsequent tips reportedly came from callers suggesting additional areas to search. The second tipster suggested an area to check in Morgan Hill, and the third tip came from a Sacramento resident who advised investigators to inspect downtown Morgan Hill.

The fourth tip came from a caller in Salinas who reportedly used to work in Morgan Hill. The person suggested checking inside closed homes within the Morgan Hill area, Cardoza said.

As to why each caller left tips anonymously, Cardoza said it’s often done to protect the people making the report.

“A person can be anonymous because they fear retaliation by who they're providing the information about,” he said. “Just in general, [when] someone calls 911—say they’re calling on their neightbor—the last thing they want to do is have their neighbor know they called the cops. It could lead to potential harm.”

Sierra's mother, Marlene LaMar, is a graduate of Milpitas High School.

For previous coverage of the Sierra LaMar case, refer to the Sierra LaMar Disappearance: Comprehensive Updates and Information page.

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