Police surrounded the University Religious Conference on Hilgard Avenue Thursday morning following a reported sighting of a missing UCLA student that was later proved to be false.
The Los Angeles Police Department received a call about a possible sighting of David Goeser, who was last seen by his roommates on July 22, around 9 a.m., said LAPD Sgt. David Bluestein. Police followed up on the call, but when police approached the man, he ran into the University Religious Conference on Hilgard Avenue.
The individual was found to be a local homeless man, and LAPD has verified it is not Goeser, Bluestein said.
A number of police cars were in the intersection of Hilgard and Le Conte avenues Thursday morning, and police asked passersby to not walk on the sidewalk in front of the religious center while they detained the homeless man.
Bluestein said people have frequently been calling in with possible sightings of the student since missing persons fliers have been posted. LAPD follows up with every report they receive, he said.
The search for Goeser, a fourth-year English student, reaches along the West Coast. Goeser’s friends and family have started a Facebook page posting information about the ongoing search, and are asking for help in posting missing persons fliers.
Anyone with information about Goeser’s whereabouts should contact the LAPD Missing Persons Unit at (213) 996-1800.
Compiled by Kylie Reynolds, Bruin senior staff.