Derick Ortega, 20, of Hesperia, was last seen leaving his Hesperia home on March 5, 2026. (San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department)

Derick Ortega; Ortega in surveillance footage.Credit : 

San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department

Police are asking for the public’s help finding a 20-year-old California man after he mysteriously disappeared.

Derick Ortega, 20, was last heard from by loved ones shortly before noon on Thursday, March 5, according to a Nixle alert from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department (SBCSD).

Authorities said he had contacted his parents and let them know that he would “no longer be able to take his younger sister to the dentist as previously planned.”

Derick Ortega, 20, of Hesperia, was last seen leaving his Hesperia home on March 5, 2026. (San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department)

Derick Ortega.San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department

Surveillance cameras captured him leaving his home on Cactus Street in Hesperia and driving away in a gray 2012 Honda Civic. SBCSD said that he left the home “without a cellphone or any identification.”

Deputies responded to a call from the home and launched a missing person investigation.

Ortega is described as 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weighing about 170 lbs. with black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a burgundy sweatshirt, brown pants and a black hat.

The SBCSD shared a closeup photo of Ortega’s face while wearing a hat. They also shared a photo of him walking on a sidewalk in the clothes that he was last seen in and an image of his gray vehicle parked without anyone inside.

Authorities noted in their alert that he was a “critical missing person,” which is defined as a person “who has no pattern of running away or disappearing,” may be a victim of “a crime or foul play” or a “victim of a kidnapping or parental abduction,” according to KTLA.

A “critically missing person” could also be defined as someone “who is mentally impaired to the extent that such person is unable to care for himself or herself or is an immediate danger to his or her own safety or the safety of others” or is “in critical need of medical attention,” per the outlet.

Derick Ortega, 20, of Hesperia, was last seen leaving his Hesperia home on March 5, 2026. (San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department)

Derick Ortega wearing clothes he vanished in.San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

PEOPLE reached out to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department for comment on Saturday, March 7, but did not receive an immediate response.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact Deputy Carreon of the Hesperia Police Department at (760) 947-1500. Information may also be submitted anonymously to the WeTip hotline at (844) 909-3096.