Bryce Laspisa is NOT the Burned Body Found at Lake Castaic: Update

See Update No. 4 on Page 2 about the burned body found at Castaic not belonging to Bryce Laspisa. Update No. 3 is on his father being burglarized as he searched for his son in the area. Update No. 2 is on sheriff's homicide detectives placing a security hold preventing the coroner from releasing information about the burned body found there. Update No. 1 is on the discovery of a corpse there.

ORIGINAL POST, SEPT. 3, 2:02 P.M.: A search continued today for a 19-year-old college student who was on his way to his parents home in Laguna Niguel but whose SUV was found overturned near Castaic Lake on Friday.

Bryce Laspisa, who was driving from Sierra College north of Sacramento to Orange County, had called his mother about 2 a.m. that morning to say he was pulling over to grab some sleep.

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Authorities say his cell phone, laptop and wallet were still inside his overturned 2003 Toyota Highlander.

Laspisa was apparently stopped by law enforcement during his drive south, but the officer said he showed no signs of impaired driving and was sent on his way.

It's possible he crashed the SUV and climbed out of a broken rear window, but there has been no sign of him near Lake Castaic so far, according to sheriff's officials.

His parents set up a Facebook page to help spread the word about the search for the “Critical Missing Person.”

He is described as white with red/orange hair and blue eyes. He is about 5-foot-10 and 160 pounds. The flier after the update on the next page shows where to call if you spot him or have information that can help.
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UPDATE NO. 1, SEPT. 4, 10:28 A.M.: Los Angeles County firefighters responding to a brush fire this morning in the same area where Bryce Laspisa apparently went missing Friday found a burning body is what ignited the blaze.

The body was too badly burned to determine if it's a man or a woman, according to a sheriff's homicide detective.

A bicyclist called in the fire about 6 a.m. after spotting flames on Lake Hughes Road, a few miles east of 5 freeway and just south of Lake Castaic. That's the same general area where the search has been on for the 19-year-old since his SUV was found overturned.

UPDATE NO. 2, SEPT. 10, 10:17 A.M.: Los Angeles County sheriff's homicide detectives have placed a security hold on the coroner's report that could identify the burned body found near Castaic Lake as being Bryce Laspisa's.

The action by investigators prevents the coroner's office from stating its conclusions about the burned body to the media or public.

UPDATE NO. 3, SEPT. 11, 12:32 P.M.: As the father of Bryce Laspisa searched the Castiac Lake area from his missing son Tuesday afternoon, someone burglarized his car.

Fortunately, an off-duty Los Angeles police officer saw the crime in progress and alerted on-duty Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies, who chased and stopped a suspect vehicle. Two LA men ages 18 and 27 were arrested on suspicion of burglarizing the dad's car–and deputies suspect the vehicle the pair was in was stolen as well.

Deputy Josh Dubin of the Santa Clarita Valley Station told City News Service it is not believed the car burglary was related to 19-year-old Laspisa's disappearance in the early morning hours of Aug. 30, when the teen was driving to his parents' Laguna Niguel home from his college in Northern California.

Laspisa had phoned his mother to say he was pulling his SUV over to get some sleep before continuing the drive. The SUV was found on its side with Laspisa no where to be found. The body of a male was found burning in the same general area last Wednesday, Sept. 4, but authorities aren't saying if it was Laspisa's.

The search continues.

UPDATE NO. 4, SEPT. 11, 5:27 P.M.: The burned body found at Lake Castaic does not belong to missing teen Bryce Laspisa, reports the Santa Clarita Valley Signal.

The 35-year-old victim was a South Central Los Angeles man who was shot and killed in a car in Hawthorne and then dumped in the area around the lake, an LA County deputy is telling reporters now.

Meanwhile, the Laspisa family has reportedly consulted a psychic to help in the search for the 19-year-old.

Email: mc****@oc******.com. Twitter: @MatthewTCoker. Follow OC Weekly on Twitter @ocweekly or on Facebook!

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