Body Found In California Was Not Missing Naperville Man
(CBS) -- The burning body found near Los Angeles last week is not that of a missing Naperville Central High School grad.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Police Capt. Mike Parker said detectives determined the body was not that of 19-year-old Bryce Laspisa but of a South Los Angeles man, Lemondre Miles, who apparently was shot to death and his body set afire in a dispute over money.
The search will continue Thursday for Laspisa, who moved with his family to southern California last year and now attends Sierra College, in northern California.
Parker told WBBM the search never stopped during the week it took to identify Miles.
"It's an extensive search," Parker said.
He said police have searched on foot, in patrol cars, on horseback, in helicopters and boats, and with divers in Lake Castaic, near where Laspisa's overturned SUV was found, in the same general area where Miles' body was found. Parker describes the terrain surrounding Lake Castaic as "vast and rugged," even though it is a county park. Police said Laspisa recently broke up with his girlfriend.
Asked why police have continued to search daily, he said, "We're parents too and our heart goes out to Bryce's family. This is very difficult for many reasons."
He said police have one primary goal: "We want to bring him home safely."
Police are urging anyone in the Chicago area who may know where Laspisa is or have had contact with him in the past 10 days to call (323) 890-5500, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's missing persons unit.
