Missing Persons Unit Handling UCLA Student Disappearance

A detective in the Missing Persons Unit of the (LAPD) said Monday that since no indication of a crime was found during the initial investigation of missing UCLA student David Goeser, his white 2001 Toyota Corolla was released and returned to his family's home in Camarillo.

The car was found parked on Los Liones Drive last week next to a trailhead and the . The LAPD handed the case over to its Missing Persons Unit last Thursday turned up few leads. The search for Goeser is in its fifth day.

Det. Carmine Sasso, who is the officer in charge of the adult missing persons unit, said the search dogs followed a trail to the Pacific Coast Highway and found two witnesses in the general area who gave similar stories, stating they saw a man fitting the description of Goeser talking about moving up north.

"We expanded our search in the way adult missing persons investigations are conducted," Sasso said. "We rely on networking with other agencies. You have to do it that way with a city that’s 470 square miles and [with] 3,500 adult missing person cases each year."

Sasso said police notified authorities to cover the Malibu, Santa Monica and South Bay areas near the beach cities in searching for Goeser, but added police think Goeser's making his way northbound.

"We had information that he's been in the area of Vancouver, Washington within the past year," Sasso said, noting authorities can't rule out Goeser could head south. "Based on how he went missing, he sort of knew how to throw us off the trail. So, he’s a smart guy."

An honors student at UCLA, Sasso said "it's a lethal combination" in adult missing person cases when that person also has social issues and is despondent.

"We need to find that person and make sure he's okay," he added. "So, we've got to get the word out."

On Monday, Goeser's sister Jessica said the expansive search effort is in the same general area as was the focus last Friday, July 27.

"All the leads haven’t turned out," she said, "so, yeah, we’re regrouping, still searching [and] still following up leads. We’ve gotten no actual concrete sightings of him recently."

Updates and how to aid in David Goeser's search effort can be found at facebook.com/FindDavidGoeser.

If you have seen David Goeser, please contact lead investigator Det. Alma Mercado at 213-996-1800 during business hours or at 877-527-3247 after hours.