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Local News

Newscast: Police Comb Through Cell Phone Data, Social Media for Clues to Teen's Disappearance

A missing poster of Roy Mora, a 15 year old with dark curly hair and a slight build.
Fort Bragg Police Department
Roy Mora, 15, has been missing since December 7, the night of the Fort Bragg Lighted Truck Parade

Note: story edited for clarity 12/17 8:14 a.m.

Authorities are continuing their search for Roy Mora, 15, a transgender teenager who disappeared after setting out to watch a lighted truck parade in Fort Bragg on Saturday, Dec. 7. Despite extensive search efforts and investigative progress tracking down leads and obtaining digital records, police say do not know Roy’s whereabouts.

Chief Neil Cervenka of the Fort Bragg Police Department provided updates Monday, outlining the department’s actions since Mora, a local juvenile, went missing.

“We’ve reviewed well over 100 hours of surveillance video,” Cervenka said in an interview with KZYX and KMUD. “We’ve used the U.S. Coast Guard to patrol the shoreline and Mendocino County Search and Rescue teams, including tracking dog units, to try to locate any scent or trail.”

The investigation has included multiple search warrants for Mora’s social media accounts and cell phone records. Police partnered with the California Office of Emergency Services’ Falcon team, which specializes in cell phone data analysis, to help map potential locations. Cellphone data was obtained from U.S. Cellular, but it revealed no new leads.

The teen’s cell phone has been off since 2:29 a.m. on Dec. 8, police said. A ping alert is active, which would notify investigators if the phone is turned back on.

Cervenka noted cooperation from social media platforms, which returned warrant-requested data within 24 to 48 hours. However, delays from U.S. Cellular required intervention from Cal OES to expedite the process.

Authorities are also investigating Mora’s ties to friends in other states, as the teen had moved throughout Lake and Mendocino counties in recent years, and friends of the teen have moved out of state.

The department has even considered tips from psychics. “We are pulling every thread,” Cervenka said. “We had two different psychics contact us with their impressions of where Roy was. They were completely different areas. Both areas were checked and nothing, nothing was found, no evidence that Roy was over there..”

Mora’s disappearance comes amid broader concerns about the mental health of transgender youth, a population that faces higher rates of depression and self-harm. However, Cervenka emphasized that investigators have found no evidence, such as messages or social media activity, to suggest self-harm.

The investigation has faced challenges, including friends accessing Mora’s social media accounts. While such logins previously signaled activity from a missing person, police now must determine whether the account was accessed by Mora or someone else, leading to false hope and wasted investigative resources.

“We’re watching those social accounts, and when there’s an activation, we investigate,” Cervenka said. “Unfortunately, friends [have been] logging into [their] accounts."

The search for Roy Mora remains active as Fort Bragg police and partnering agencies continue to follow leads. Authorities urge anyone with information to contact the Fort Bragg Police Department.

Local News
Elise Cox worked as an editor and reporter for the San Jose Mercury News, Knight Ridder, U.S. News & World Report and other publications prior to moving to the Mendocino coast in 2022. She began reporting stories for KZYX in August 2024 and became news director in December 2024.