How many kids are reported missing from California? Why these cases can get complicated

A California Department of Justice database listed 3,021 total missing persons statewide as of Wednesday, of which 274 were 19 years old or younger.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reported a higher total of 661 children missing in California.

But not all missing children cases get on the public’s radar.

It’s not the norm for all missing kid cases to get a lot of media attention and public involvement, as seen in the recent case of a missing Truckee teenager, said John Bischoff, vice president of the Missing Children Division at the NCMEC.

The center is a non-profit organization that helps find missing children.

At least 13 children are reported missing from Sacramento County, with none under 19 years old currently listed as missing in nearby El Dorado, Placer or Yolo counties. In Sacramento County, 12 of the 13 were teens; the other is 12 years old.

Some reported missing this year from the greater Sacramento area have also been reported missing on at least one other occasion in the past couple of years. Krystal Singh, for instance, is an at-risk 17-year-old that NCMEC lists as missing since January in Sacramento. Krystal also disappeared in April 2021 from Manteca, a previous NCMEC entry and social media posts show.

Kiely Rodni, the Truckee 16-year-old who had been missing for two weeks, was found dead Sunday in her submerged vehicle in the Prosser Creek Reservoir near where she disappeared.

When certain missing kids cases do not receive wide community or media attention, Bischoff said, it’s often based on public perception.

Before 2012, NCMEC fliers would indicate the reason a child was missing, including if it was a family abduction or an endangered runaway. The organization found that the public would see these titles and think that the child left because they wanted to and they must be okay, Bischoff said. If it was a case of family abduction, he said, the public would think the child is fine because they are with a family member.

“That’s absolutely not the case. That does not mean they’re safe,” he said. “In an endangered runaway aspect, just because they may have left the house on their own two feet does not mean they’re safe.”

According to NCMEC, 89.9% of missing children reported to the national organization were found in 2021. Bischoff said a majority of missing children are found quickly across the United States, within the first couple of hours or days.

Questions asked when a child goes missing

Most often, based on initial reports, a case comes from a child who is believed to run away or left what’s perceived to be a safe environment, Bischoff said.

But as more information comes in, cases can become more complex.

These are the questions that come to mind when evaluating a missing child case, Bischoff said:

▪ Could it be a non-family abduction?

▪ Could there be other factors that play into the child’s disappearance?

▪ Did they leave on their own accord or were they coerced?

“With over 400,000 missing child cases (nationally), each one is different and unique in their own way,” Bischoff said.

Law enforcement and the NCMEC must learn about who the child is — their habits, communication methods, apps and services they use online — to find them quickly and safely.

How to report a missing child

If you notice someone is missing, you should call your local law enforcement as soon as possible.

Police and sheriff’s departments in California do not require a specific waiting period before reporting a missing person, according to the office of the attorney general.

After reporting to your local law enforcement, call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.

The organization has a reference guide on steps parents or guardians can take if their loved one is missing. It includes:

▪ Search your home for places your child can crawl, hide or sleep in. This includes piles of clothes, closets, under beds and inside large appliances

▪ Tell law enforcement the time, date and location where your child was last seen and names of the person or people they were last with

▪ Secure the child’s room and belongings so law enforcement can conduct a search

▪ Secure any devices your kid uses but don’t search through them yourself. Instead, ask law enforcement to look at their online activity for clues

▪ Tell law enforcement about your child’s health conditions, recent behavior changes or if there’s been someone who’s shown recent interest or attention to your child, if applicable

▪ Contact local missing children organizations, such as the Missing Children Clearinghouse or the National Runaway Safeline.

Keep recent photos of your child and have them fingerprinted, Andra Stockwell, California Highway Patrol Sergeant for the Valley Division, previously told The Bee.

This story was originally published August 25, 2022 at 5:00 AM.