A 21-year-old Redding man who went backpacking on Mt. Shasta has been missing since May 29, Siskiyou and Shasta counties law enforcement reported.
Lesner Noe Velasquez Cardenas was last reported seen on May 29 when a taxi dropped him off at a trailhead to Avalanche Gulch. The cell phone he carried with him has been out of service since that afternoon, Redding police said in an announcement sent late Tuesday evening.
Earlier on May 29, Lesner was involved involved in a traffic collision on Oak Run Road in Shasta County. He called the CHP to report the crash, but left the area before law enforcement got there. His roommates and acquaintances told police they think Lesner got a ride back to his Trudie Trail apartment, but Lesner wasn’t at home when officers knocked at his door, Redding Police reported.
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After he returned home, detectives learned Lesner took the cab to Mt. Shasta from Cypress Avenue. The driver picked him up near Wells Fargo Bank at 2:22 p.m., the announcement said.
When the taxi dropped him off, the driver told police Lesner was carrying backpacking gear. He told the driver he planned to beat a friend’s time completing a hike, Redding Police reported.
The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office’s Search and Rescue team began looking for Lesner Friday, June 6. By Saturday, they hadn’t found him or learned anything about his whereabouts. The California Highway Patrol’s Northern Division Air Operations continued searching by air, but with no luck, the announcement said.
Police asked that anyone with information about Lesner’s whereabouts or his disappearance call Redding Police Sgt. Josiah Ferrin at 530-225-4200.
Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica in the Get Out! Nor Cal recreation Facebook group. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Redding man missing after going for hike on Mt. Shasta in Siskiyou County, police say
Reporting by Jessica Skropanic, Redding Record Searchlight / Redding Record Searchlight
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