Loved ones are searching for a Southern California man who disappeared after leaving his home.

Derick Ortega, 20, of Hesperia, was reported missing on March 5, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

Ortega, who is considered critically missing, was last heard from around 11:49 a.m. that morning when he called his parents to say he could no longer take his younger sister to the dentist as scheduled.

Surveillance cameras then showed Ortega leaving his home on the 15800 Block of Cactus Street and driving away in a gray 2012 Honda Civic with California license plate 8FAU996.

Derick Ortega, 20, of Hesperia, was last seen leaving his Hesperia home on March 5, 2026. (San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department)

Derick Ortega, 20, of Hesperia, was last seen leaving his Hesperia home on March 5, 2026. (San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department)

Derick Ortega drove away in a gray 2012 Honda Civic with California license plate 8FAU996. (San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department)

Derick Ortega drove away in a gray 2012 Honda Civic with California license plate 8FAU996. (San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department)

He left without taking his cell phone or any identification, his family said.

It’s unclear where he may have been heading when he disappeared. His family did not mention any mental or health conditions that would contribute to his disappearance.

He stands 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 170 pounds. He has brown eyes and black hair. He was last seen wearing a burgundy sweatshirt, brown pants and a black hat.

They have not heard from him since and are very concerned for his well-being.

A “critically missing person” is defined as:

A person who has no pattern of running away or disappearing

A person in critical need of medical attention

The victim of a crime or foul play

The victim of a kidnapping or parental abduction

A person who is mentally impaired to the extent that such person is unable to care for himself or herself or is an immediate danger to his or her own safety or the safety of others

Anyone who knows Ortega’s whereabouts or has seen his vehicle is asked to call Deputy Carreon at the Hesperia Police Department at 760-947-1500.

Anonymous tips can be provided to We-Tip at 1-800-782-7463 or online at wetip.com.

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