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16-year-old teenager Dante de la Torre went missing at the Gold Run rest stop on Wednesday, December 7, 2022. After an extensive search, authorities found the body of the teenager in a “remote wooded area.”
Dante de la Torre went to work on a school project, and when he did not return, he was reported missing.
Police have not yet revealed the exact cause of death, but believe that there was no foul play involved in the case.
Northern California teen Dante de la Torre had gone to collect soil samples for a school project
Dante was a student at Colfax High School and was supposedly working on a school project before going missing. Police later found him dead in a remote area shortly before 7 pm local time on Thursday. Cops said the area was 60 miles north of California State Capitol, Sacramento.
On Thursday, a day after the school student went missing, police stated:
“Dante went to the Gold Run rest stop area for a school project around 12:30 p.m. yesterday. He has had no contact with friends or family since then.”
The police believed that Dante possessed a hand towel, snow boots, a little shovel, and water bottles before he vanished.
A childhood friend of Dante's told an outlet that the teen had gone to collect soil samples for a school project. Authorities have discovered that Dante de la Torre went to the woods near Interstate 80 on Wednesday afternoon. Police also found his white Subaru in the Gold Run rest stop’s parking lot.
Authorities confirmed that, on the afternoon of December 7, 2022, Dante left his car and the parking lot, and also stopped communicating with his family.
Several search parties consisting of civilians wanted to look for the teenager. To avoid chaos and haphazardness, police urged the public to leave the search to authorized agencies only.
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office stated:
“While we appreciate the offer to help, this will only impede our search.”
They further added:
“We currently have over three dozen specially trained searchers and K9s who specialize in scent detection and looking for Dante. 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.”
After extensive searches for about 24 hours, the authorities finally found the remains of Dante de la Torre in a remote area in the woods. They then issued a statement, saying:
“It is with a heavy heart that we are updating the community that 16-year-old Dante de la Torre was found deceased this afternoon in a remote wooded area near the Gold Run Rest Stop. We offer our condolences to the de la Torre family and Dante's friends during this unbelievably tragic time.”
The cause of death has not yet been identified, and the body was sent to the coroner for further examination. The Sacramento Bee reported that the temperatures dropped to a freezing point on Wednesday night in the area where Dante’s remains were found.
The temperatures were very low, and the terrain was rough in the area
Angela Musallam, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office told the outlet:
“There's varying terrain, steep terrain, rough terrain but it's heavily wooded.”
School officials expressed their condolences for the tragic incident involving Dante de la Torre and said:
“Such tragedies, especially when they involve young people, are very difficult to process. Chaplains and additional District Counseling staff will be on the Colfax High School campus to provide support to our students and staff as they deal with this devastating news.”
Dante de la Torre was originally from Auburn, Alabama. The Placer Union High School District mentioned that he was a student in the International Baccalaureate program at Colfax High School in California. According to Dante’s friends, he was a lovable young boy and was a player on the school soccer team.
Following Dante’s death, people have expressed condolences and support for his family and friends on multiple social media platforms. Cameron Salerno, a sports journalist, also tweeted saying:
“This is horrible. Dante de la Torre was a junior soccer player at Colfax High School. RIP.”
Another user wrote:
“I was hoping and praying for a safe return… sorry to hear… thoughts to loved ones.”
A handful of people have also questioned whether there was foul play involved, or if the police ruled out the possibility too quickly.
Although officials found the teen’s body, many questions are yet to be answered. They are investigating why Dante had gone to the woods alone, why he was allowed to leave the school during school hours, and also the actual reason behind his death. The case is currently under investigation, and the coroner’s report is yet to be disclosed.
