SOUTH LAKE TAHOE-
The body of a missing 14-year-old South Lake Tahoe boy has been found.
Police say the teen was crushed by a falling tree in Thursday’s storm.
Dejon Smith was a freshman at South Lake Tahoe High School
“I just feel so so so sad for his family it just like breaks my heart,” said Tresa Bell, who lives down the street from where Smith’s body was found.
Bell’s feeling are shared by many others in the Rancho Bijou neighborhood near Heavenly Ski Resort.
“Whatever they need to recover from this,” Bruce Reaney said about Smith’s family.
Reaney’s backyard is feet from where police say Smith’s body was found near Bijou Community Park.
“Later on in the afternoon I looked out and there’s, I don’t know, maybe 10-15 people out there and they put a little memorial out there,” Reaney told FOX40.
South Lake Tahoe police say Smith was reported missing by his family on Thursday.
On Friday, officers searched a wooded area where he was last seen by a witness, but they couldn’t find him.
Then a citizen found his body on Saturday, a half mile away and under a fallen tree.
Detectives believe Thursday’s high winds are what knocked the tree over.
“We live in the mountains, it’s rough out here and you have to be aware if it’s stormy,” Bell said.
Reaney said he heard numerous trees falling on Thursday and didn’t realize till Sunday he, his family, or really anyone could have become a victim.
“There’s so many people who go through the meadow. That’s what the meadows are for, I want people to enjoy that. It’s just unfortunate that sort of thing happened.” Reaney said.
“I hope that it brings awareness for all of these teenagers and these high schoolers. We do not live in a warm area. It’s harsh conditions out here. You need to keep yourself warm, you need to know when you can and can not go outside,” Bell said.
The vice principal at South Lake Tahoe High told FOX40 grief councilors will be on hand when classes start Monday morning.
Smith’s mother is a longtime employee of the Grocery Outlet in South Lake Tahoe.
Employees there are taking donations for the family to help pay for funeral expenses.
