BC-CA--Missing College Student,1st Ld/139
Nevada college student missing in Southern California

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) — Authorities are trying to locate a Nevada college student who was reported missing after a visit to California.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office says 23-year-old Dianne Thacher was reported missing Sunday by her family in Rhode Island, who hadn't heard from her since Oct. 5.

The student from Sierra Nevada College near Lake Tahoe reportedly was in Santa Barbara County to meet friends.

A sheriff's statement says Thacher was seen checking out of her motel room on Oct. 6 and on the same day her vehicle was found with a flat tire on a roadside.

Investigators traced Thacher's cellphone to an area several miles north of the car, but the phone hasn't been active since Oct. 6.

Aerial and ground searches have been conducted in both areas.

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