GOLD RUN, Calif. — A 16-year-old Colfax High School student was reported missing in Placer County. He was identified as Dante de la Torre, the Placer County Sheriff's Office said Thursday.
He went to the Gold Run rest stop area for a school project around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday but did not return, according to the sheriff's office. The Gold Run rest stop area is located off Interstate 80, northeast of Colfax.
"Colfax High School and the entire Placer Union High School District are deeply concerned about the well-being of a Colfax 11th-grade student, Dante de la Torre, who is missing. Site and District Administration are working with the Placer County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) who are investigating his disappearance," the Placer Union High School District wrote in a statement.
The teenager has not been in contact with family or friends since then, the sheriff's office said. They have deployed sources to search for him.
Dante de la Torre has brown hair and a buzz cut, is 5'11" tall, and weighs about 160 pounds.
He was last seen wearing a tan jacket, blue sweatshirt and brown hiking boots. The sheriff's office said it's believed he packed water bottles, a hand towel or small shovel, and snow boots.
The Placer County Sheriff's Office said that there are more than 36 trained searchers and K9s looking for Dante de la Torre. They discourage any civilian search parties in the Gold Run search area.
"If the public begins searching the area, there is a likelihood our K9s will lose Dante’s scent, impacting our search for him. We thank our community for their understanding," the sheriff's office wrote.
Anyone who sees him can call the dispatch center at (530) 886-5375.
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