A Brentwood, California mother continues searching for her son Dane Elkins, a 23-time national champion racquetball player and UC Santa Cruz student, who disappeared from his abandoned vehicle near Santa Clarita last December.

Within the nine months following his disappearance, possible sightings continue to pop up matching 22-year-old Dane’s description,  with the third credible sighting prompting his family to plead with the public for assistance now more than ever.

“He walked up to the witness at the AM/PM and asked for spare change. She asked if he was hungry and bought him a meal. I am sure it is Dane now by the little details of what he ate and what he did not eat,” his mother, Deborah Elkins, said. “Dane told the witness at the AM/PM in Oakdale he was headed to Oregon and he needed bus money.”

Dane’s mother has been searching for her son since she last spoke to him on Dec. 21, 2020, the day of his disappearance, when he was driving between his home in Brentwood and UC Santa Cruz. This most recent sighting on July 12 in Oakdale, California, comes as a welcome relief.

“It was such a relief, so good to hear, it makes me so grateful,” Elkins said. “It makes me believe in gratitude and kindness, that Dane is living on the kindness of others, and he’s in pretty good condition, with newer clothes, and he’s clean.”

According to his mother, during the July sighting Dane was last seen walking with a sleeping bag, a hard rolling suitcase, jeans, vans, a mustard hoodie, and corrected a witness when they pronounced his name as “Dan.”

Dane was officially reported missing after her son called 911 for an unknown reason. When deputies arrived at his given location near the I-5 Freeway and Templin Highway, they discovered his abandoned car with a flat tire and the others low on air. His wallet and cell phone were found inside, with Dane nowhere in sight, according to police reports.

The 22-year-old engineering student had been living at home in Brentwood amid school shutdowns during the coronavirus pandemic, but frequently travelled to Santa Cruz to visit friends.

An engineering student at U.C. Santa Cruz and 23-time national champion racquetball player at the time of his disappearance, Dane has been described by family and friends as a loving, intelligent young man, and this behavior is incredibly out of the ordinary for him.

Facing pressures from school and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Dane may have developed paranoia and declined mental health, according to Elkins’ family.

“For him to survive eight months and to be really clean, that’s really good,” his mother said. “We’ve been so worried about him and hearing this means so much.”

According to a witness, the man suspected to be Dane mentioned that a woman named “Aubrey” brought him to Oakdale, and his family is now also searching for this woman in order to thank her for helping Dane.

“We don’t want anything else, we just want to thank her and it would be great if she came forward,” his mother said.

During a possible sighting in February, Dane had allegedly interacted with two witnesses in Mojave, California near the intersection of the 14 Freeway and Mojave-Barstow Highway, about 50 miles north of the Santa Clarita Valley. He also mentioned an interest in travelling to Oregon during that sighting.

“Dane, every day we’re all thinking of you, praying for you and ready for you to come home and support you any way we can,” His mother said. “We want to help him when he is ready and we want him to know we are here with open arms and hearts, just waiting. We miss him, we love him and we pray for him every day.”

Dane, a resident of Brentwood, is described as white, with brown hair and green eyes. He stands around 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs around 170 pounds, according to the missing person’s report.

Anyone who believes they have found Elkins is encouraged to surreptitiously take a photo of whomever they believe to be him and send it to searchingfordaneelkins@gmail.com, as it will allow the family to better sift through legitimate leads before passing them on to investigators.

“The silver lining is that there are so many kind people, and our family is so grateful to the community for helping us in finding these promising leads and getting us closer to finding Dane,” Deborah said of the social media response to her pleas for help finding her son.

Another way to help in the search is to raise awareness of social media by posting a copy of the flyer along with the hashtag #FindDaneElkins.

If you have seen or have any information regarding Dane Elkins’ whereabouts contact the Los Angeles Police Department at 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247).

Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477). Tipsters may also contact Crime Stoppers by texting to phone number 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone. All text messages should begin with the letters “LAPD.” Tipsters may also go to LAPDOnline.org, click on “webtips” and follow the prompts.

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