Stepmom gives statement to Denver media; search for Gannon Stauch goes north

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Eleven-year-old Gannon Stauch has been missing for more than two weeks after last being seen in his Lorson Ranch home, but amid search efforts, his stepmother released a statement addressing social media rumors and media reports.

Stauch's stepmother, Tecia Stauch, issued the statement to KDVR, a Fox affiliate in Denver.

Tecia reported Stauch missing around 6:55 Monday, January 27 - telling officials he was last seen between 3:00 and 4:00 p.m before he left for a friend's house.

Few details have been released about the ongoing investigation into Stauch's disappearance, with the El Paso County Sheriff's Office only saying that deputies are continuing search efforts based on tips.

Wednesday, the sheriff's office said people were searching in the northern area of El Paso County and southern portion of Douglas County. That includes areas near Palmer Lake.

"There’s everything out there when you’re talking about wildlife. There’s lots of places to hide. It’s rural, it’s rough. And you don’t see a lot of people." said Linnea Shamash, who lives across from one search area a couple miles north of Palmer Lake off highway 105. "You could be out there for hours and hours and not see one person," she said.

Public Information Officer, Jackie Kirby, confirmed a total of 130 people were searching for Gannon on Thursday.

"The search today is larger than we’ve seen in days past. So, I don’t want to give people illusions that the 130 people are out in force everyday. That’s just not the case," Kirby explained. "We go where the tips and the leads take us, and we bring the necessary resources to follow up on those leads and tips."

At this point, no persons of interest have been identified. The sheriff's office says it has followed up on more than 300 tips from the public.

We'll have more on this story throughout the day.