SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) – Friends and family of a 17-year-old missing student pray for his safe return Tuesday.
On Monday, the family of Cristian Olmos spoke out asking for their son's safe return.
The missing teen has not been seen since last Thursday and the search for him is now being carried out on both sides of the border.
Olmos is a senior at St. Augustine High School in North Park where he attends on a scholarship.
He is a U.S. citizen, but lives with his family in Tijuana. Cristian’s mother would drive him across the border and drop him off in front of school every day.
However, last Thursday he received a ride from another student, even though he was supposed to get a ride home with his mother.
It has now been more than four days since anyone has seen or heard from Christian.
His mother made a desperate plea for her missing son Monday night. Speaking in Spanish, Cristian’s mother asked him to return to their home. She said all the family wants is his happiness.
Choking back tears, Cristian’s mother said the last time she saw her son was last Thursday. She said he got out of the car when she dropped him off at school, but when she returned at the end of the school day to pick him up, she learned he had not attended class.
According to the school, Cristian was last seen on campus at about 2:20 p.m., Thursday in the parking garage where another student gave him a ride.
His family later determined he was dropped off at an ice cream shop in South Park, and from there took a taxi to the San Ysidro border. He was dropped off at the border between three and 3:30 p.m.
Cristian had no cell phone with him and didn’t carry any form of identification, but he did have his laptop.
Cristian’s father said his son is a brilliant student and that he aspires to become an aerospace engineer. However, his parents said Cristian’s grade had begun to slip in recent months.
His family said they had become worried about him because they can’t figure out what is wrong with him. According to the family, Cristian has never gone missing before.
Anyone with information on Cristian’s disappearance is asked to call police.