Plain Township is on alert as the Stark County Sheriff's Office and the family of 15-year-old Karan Alkaied ask for the public's help after he was reported missing Friday evening. Authorities say he left his Plain Township home and was last seen on foot around 6:30 p.m. Karan has cerebral palsy and uses leg braces, and local officials say he needs medical support and may not be able to travel far on his own.
According to a Facebook post from the Stark County Sheriff’s Office, Karan is a 15-year-old white male about 5 feet 1 inch tall and roughly 110 pounds with brown eyes and black hair. The post states he was last seen wearing a gray hoodie and black jeans and that he walks with a limp while wearing braces on both legs. Investigators and family members are urging anyone with information to call the Stark County Sheriff’s Office at (330) 430-3800.
Statewide context
While any missing-child case is frightening, state data show that most are ultimately found safe. The Ohio Attorney General’s 2023 Missing Children Clearinghouse report recorded 17,405 missing children and said roughly 98% were reunited with family, according to the attorney general’s office. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children maintains a 24-hour tip line at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) for sightings and reports, per NCMEC.
How to help
Authorities say that if you see someone who matches Karan’s description, do not approach. Instead, call 911 immediately. If you are in Stark County, officials ask that you contact the Stark County Sheriff’s Office at (330) 430-3800, as noted in the sheriff’s Facebook post. Tips can also be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST. Clear photos, detailed locations, and times can help investigators, but officials stress the importance of avoiding the spread of unverified information on social media.
