Authorities say a Northern California adolescent who went missing while reportedly completing research for a school assignment was found dead on Thursday, while no foul play is suspected.
Dante de la Torre, 16, went missing Wednesday while out collecting soil samples near the Gold Run Rest Area off Interstate 80, according to his parents.
According to officials, the remote woodland location is about 60 miles north of the California State Capitol in Sacramento.
According to a Placer County Sheriff’s Office statement on Thursday, the junior from Colfax High School “was found deceased this afternoon in a remote wooded area near the” rest stop.
“There is no indication Dante’s death was foul play,” the sheriff said, adding that the coroner will continue to investigate.
“We offer our condolences to the de la Torre family and Dante’s friends during this unbelievably tragic time.”
The student’s absence provoked an immediate outpouring of concern from the community, prompting law enforcement and school administrators to implore well-wishers not to search on their own, fearing that such attempts would confuse police dogs searching for him.
“Colfax High School, along with the entire Placer Union High School District, is heartbroken to learn the passing of Dante de la Torre as reported by the Placer County Sheriff’s Office,” according to a school district statement. “Such tragedies, especially when they involve young people, are very difficult to process.”
