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Volunteers no longer needed in search for missing UF student

Police have ended the call for volunteers to participate in the search for UF student Christian Aguilar who has been missing for more than two weeks.

The volunteer check-in post at the Florida Farm Bureau in Gainesville, which has been organizing search teams this week, will close at 5 p.m. today, according to the Gainesville Police Department.

Volunteers, friends and family have been assisting police with the search for Christian Aguilar, an 18-year-old UF freshman, since he disappeared Sept. 20.

GPD spokesman Ben Tobias said that volunteers were initially used to help search large, general areas. Those larger areas have been narrowed down, he said.

Now, investigators are sending professional search teams to areas of interest. Anything found now will be considered evidence, he said.

Pedro Bravo, an 18-year-old Santa Fe College student, has been charged with murder in the case, although Aguilar's body has not yet been found.

Q&A with GPD Spokesman Ben Tobias

Stephanie is a reporter for WUFT News who may be contacted by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news @wuft.org