EFFORTS WE GO TO ACTION NEWS 8 REPORTER FELIX CORTEZ LIVE OUTSIDE WATSONVILLE #…. # ERIN.. JUST EAST OF THE CITY LIMITS.. NEAR COLLEGE LAKE WHERE THAT ALL DAY SEARCH CONTINUES.. AS YOU CAN SEE BEHIND ME.. FOR THAT TEENAGER.. CONSIDERED AN AT RISK MINOR.. AN ALL OUT SEARCH UNDERWAY JUST EAST OF WATSONVILLE FOR GRAPHIC IN 15 YEAR OLD NICHOLAS MAGANA-ZAMORA.. REPORTED MISSING LATE WEDNESDAY AND CONSIDERED AN AT-RISK THE SEARCH FOR ZAMORA FOCUSED THURSDAY IN THE AREA AROUND COLLEGE LAKE NEAR HOLOHAN RD AND EAST LAKE AVENUE.. IT IS HERE WHERE HE WAS LAST SPOTTED.. AND WHERE FAMILY MEMBERS SAY SOME OF HIS BELONGINGS MAY HAVE BEEN FOUND, INCLUDING A CELL PHONE AND BIKE.. NEARLY TWO DOZEN PEOPLE FROM THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY SHERIFF’S SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM LOOKING FOR THE MISSING TEEN FROM THE GROUND AND AIR.. ON THE LAKE SHORE AND IN THE WATER.. THRUSDAY AFTERNOON ZAMORA’S MOTHER AND FAMILY SHOWED UP AT THE COMMAND CENTER.. SOME OF THEM TOO DISTRAUGHT TO TALK ON CAMERA.. AT THIS POINT INVESTIGATORS SAY THERE IS NOTHING TO INDICATE FOUL PLAY IS INVOLVED.. IF ANYONE HAS ANY INFORMATION REGARDING ZAMORA’S WHEREABOUTS.. PLEASE CALL 911.. NEAR WATSONVILLE.
Search intensifies for missing at-risk teen in Watsonville
Updated: 6:25 PM PDT Jul 24, 2025
An intense search is underway just east of Watsonville for a 15-year-old who was reported missing late Wednesday and is considered an at-risk minor. The search efforts are focused around College Lake near Holohan Road and East Lake Avenue, where Nicholas Magana-Zamora was last seen and where some of his belongings, including a cell phone and bike, may have been found.”This is a search and rescue, you know, as opposed to, you know, a recovery,” said Patrick Dimick, Lt. with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office. “So right now we’re active search phase.”Nearly two dozen people from the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s search and rescue team are involved in the search, looking for the missing teen from the ground and air, on the lake shore, and in the water.”Our search and rescue team, the volunteers are out there, you know, looking for any evidence that they can, footprints, belongings, etc., that will give us something more to further and hopefully find Nicholas,” said Dimick.Zamora’s mother and family visited the command center Thursday afternoon, with some too distraught to speak on camera. The teen is described as 5-foot-5, with brown hair and brown eyes, and was last seen wearing a gray shirt, green jacket, and blue jeans.”If Nicholas happens to see it, we would certainly tell him that there are a lot of people that are concerned about him and love him,” said Dimick. “And for the community, we just hope that any little bit of information they may get that someone is missing from us by social media or through KSBW, we hope that they would call anything in.”Investigators have stated there is no indication of foul play involved. Anyone with information regarding Zamora’s whereabouts is urged to call 911.
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Calif. —
An intense search is underway just east of Watsonville for a 15-year-old who was reported missing late Wednesday and is considered an at-risk minor.
The search efforts are focused around College Lake near Holohan Road and East Lake Avenue, where Nicholas Magana-Zamora was last seen and where some of his belongings, including a cell phone and bike, may have been found.
“This is a search and rescue, you know, as opposed to, you know, a recovery,” said Patrick Dimick, Lt. with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office. “So right now we’re active search phase.”
Nearly two dozen people from the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s search and rescue team are involved in the search, looking for the missing teen from the ground and air, on the lake shore, and in the water.
“Our search and rescue team, the volunteers are out there, you know, looking for any evidence that they can, footprints, belongings, etc., that will give us something more to further and hopefully find Nicholas,” said Dimick.
Zamora’s mother and family visited the command center Thursday afternoon, with some too distraught to speak on camera.
The teen is described as 5-foot-5, with brown hair and brown eyes, and was last seen wearing a gray shirt, green jacket, and blue jeans.
“If Nicholas happens to see it, we would certainly tell him that there are a lot of people that are concerned about him and love him,” said Dimick. “And for the community, we just hope that any little bit of information they may get that someone is missing from us by social media or through KSBW, we hope that they would call anything in.”
Investigators have stated there is no indication of foul play involved. Anyone with information regarding Zamora’s whereabouts is urged to call 911.