A South Bay family is seeking the public’s help in locating a 21-year-old man who's been missing since Dec. 1.
Gabriel Lara de Lara was last seen driving his black 2003 Infinity FX45 in the area of Monterey Road and Rucker Avenue.
His car was found on the side of the road the next day but he hasn’t been located.
Eleodoro Lara, Gabriel’s father, said he found his phone inside the car and noticed his glove compartment was open.
“I thought the police had taken him,” Eleodoro said, adding it’s been a nightmare to go to bed every night not knowing where his son is.
Gabriel’s mother lives in Mexico, but said that despite the distance, she hasn’t lost faith. She said she last spoke to her son on Nov. 30.
“I know he’ll be back home with his dad,” Esther de Lara Chávez said. “We are devastated that we don’t know anything about my boy, my heart is broken in two.”
Gabriel’s sister, Rosa Lara de Lara, traveled to Gilroy from Oklahoma to help with the search and said she’s not leaving until her brother is found.
“I know he's listening to me, and I know he's going to come back," she said.
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The family has traveled to nearby cities, passing out flyers, hoping someone has seen Gabriel.
He is described as having short black hair, brown eyes, and being a little over 5 feet tall.
The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office said Thursday it is ramping up its already considerable search efforts.
"We've been putting all of our resources towards this, including our K9 team," Sheriff's Office spokesman Brooks Jarosz said. "We've had drones up in the air. We've had our search and rescue teams out there. Our dive team is headed out there. We're trying to exhaust all resources to make sure we're not missing anything."
Community leaders and volunteers plan to add extra eyes with a civilian search this weekend.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office at 408-846-0350.
