Family, friends gather on 4th anniversary of Sierra LaMar's disappearance

FREMONT, Calif. (KGO) -- Four years ago, 15-year-old Sierra LaMar was last seen leaving her Morgan Hill home.

Those who knew her best got together Wednesday to remember her, as they plan to resume the search for the missing teenager.

LaMar lived in Fremont before she moved to Morgan Hill and El Patio was one of her favorite restaurants, which is why her friends and family chose to gather here tonight.

Sierra's childhood friends are now in college and not an important moment goes by when they don't think of her. She was just 15 years old when she disappeared on her way to school.

"Birthdays, going into college, things like that," said Sierra's friend Alex Mejia. "Everything like that I can see myself getting older. I do think about her a lot that she should also be experiencing that. It was taken away from her."

The suspect, Antolin Garcia-Torres, is awaiting trial. He's accused of kidnapping and killing Sierra, but her body still hasn't been found.

Sierra's mother Marlene says get-togethers like this help her cope.

"It doesn't get any less painful, even four years later, but it does help seeing her friends organizing this and the parents. Really, I'm blessed having known all these people," Marlene LaMar said.

Weekly searches for Sierra ended last year, but on Saturday volunteers will go back to an area near Uvas Reservoir outside Morgan Hill. They believe it wasn't searched thoroughly the first time around.

Sierra's dad plans to be there. "I'm still hoping she's alive somewhere. That's just kind of a natural thing, that family keeps that hope alive," said Stevenm LaMar.

Friends have been hoping too for Sierra's safe return.