Search teams hunt for lost boy

Tuesday, Sept. 16, 1997 | 11:01 a.m.

When 7-year-old Raul Perez did not peddle his mountain bike into the driveway of his family's mobile home before dark, his father called police, which triggered a search that continued this morning.

More than 30 volunteers from Nevada Child Seekers conducted a door-to-door search of the 315-unit Thunderbird Mobile Home Park on Craig Road near Nellis Boulevard late Monday and early today.

"We searched until about 2 a.m., then resumed at 6 a.m.," Metro Police Sgt. Al Salinas said today. "He is new to Las Vegas and does not know the area too well."

The family moved to Las Vegas from California about a month ago.

Perez is 4 feet tall, has a thin build, brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing no shirt, blue jean shorts and green sneakers. He was riding a large green Huffy bicycle.

Surrounding mobile home parks, area businesses, Nellis Air Force Base property and nearby desert areas were being searched for the boy who was last seen at 6:30 p.m. Monday in front of the mobile home park.

"This is a large area to search," said Jill Lemasurier, coordinator for the Nevada Child Seekers search team. "In the past three years, we have conducted 20 searches like this and have been successful finding all of the children."

Perez was registered at a local elementary school Monday, but did not attend classes that day, Salinas said.