On the evening of November 30, 2024, Gabriel Lara, a 21-year-old male from San Martin, was at a gathering in Gilroy, California. At approximately 11:00 PM, he sent a text message to his father indicating he was on his way home. Gabriel was seen leaving the event in his 2003 black Infiniti FX45, with a friend reportedly following behind him in another vehicle. The friend stated that they saw Gabriel pull his vehicle over to the side of the road, but the friend did not stop.
Gabriel never arrived home that night, prompting his family to become concerned.
The following day, December 1, 2024, Gabriel's father was notified that his son's vehicle had been found abandoned on the side of Monterey Highway at Rucker Avenue in unincorporated Gilroy. Upon this discovery, Gabriel was officially reported as a missing person. Inside the deserted vehicle, investigators found Gabriel's cell phone and wallet. The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office initiated a search for the young man, describing him as a Hispanic male, approximately 5'7" tall, weighing 140 pounds, with short black hair and brown eyes. His family, desperate for answers, organized their own search efforts in the area where his car was located.
Tragically, the search for Gabriel Lara came to a devastating end. On December 15, 2024, a body was discovered floating in a waterway near Monterey Road and Rucker Avenue, in close proximity to where Gabriel's car had been abandoned. The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene and confirmed the individual was deceased. Several days later, on December 21, the remains were positively identified as Gabriel Lara de Lara. The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office, along with the Medical Examiner-Coroner's Office, began an investigation into the manner and cause of his death. In the wake of this tragedy, a GoFundMe account was established to support Gabriel's family. The case shifted from a missing person investigation to a death investigation, leaving a family and community to mourn the loss of a young life. Authorities have asked anyone with information regarding the case to contact the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office.Last Seen: Nov 30, 2024
