Cincinnati Police Search for 15-Year-Old Pedro Camaja, Missing Since Saturday in Price Hill

Cincinnati Police are asking for the public's help finding 15-year-old Pedro Camaja, who walked away from his Price Hill home Saturday morning and has not been seen since. Camaja was last spotted around 11 a.m. wearing all black clothing, and he left in an unknown direction toward an unknown destination, according to police.

The teen's disappearance was reported to police that evening, at 8:04 p.m., under report number 2026-INC-016671-1, according to the Cincinnati Police Department. Officers describe Camaja as Hispanic, male, 5 feet 6 inches tall and 140 pounds, with black hair and black eyes. Police say he refused to return to his residence when he left, and his current whereabouts remain unknown.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Williams of District 3's Investigative Unit at 513-263-8333, or to reach police dispatch at 911 for emergencies or 513-765-1212 for non-emergency tips. The Cincinnati Police Department notes that its social media pages, including its X accounts, are not monitored continuously, so residents with leads should call rather than comment online.

A Hillside Community Familiar With These Searches

Price Hill, where Camaja was last seen, is actually three connected Cincinnati neighborhoods — East Price Hill, West Price Hill, and Lower Price Hill — that together make up one of the city's largest residential areas, spanning several square miles on Cincinnati's western hillsides, according to the City of Cincinnati. The area falls under Cincinnati Police District 3, which covers 18 West Side neighborhoods from its headquarters at 2300 Ferguson Road and is the department's largest district by neighborhood coverage.

This is not the first time Price Hill has been the backdrop for a search for a missing young person. Hoodline previously reported on searches for missing teens Crenton Griffin, Sarah Woody, and 13-year-old Joselynn, as well as Price Hill resident Aylissa Turner, all within roughly the last year. Cincinnati has also recently sought a missing Walnut Hills teen who had been gone for six weeks.

Runaways Make Up Most Missing Youth Cases in Ohio

Camaja's case is being handled as a runaway juvenile report, and state figures show that pattern is overwhelmingly common. The Ohio Attorney General's Office reported in May that 15,367 missing children reports were filed statewide in 2025, with 97.8 percent of those children, or 15,024, recovered safely by year's end. Runaway incidents alone accounted for 7,656 of those reports — the vast majority of all juvenile disappearances recorded across Ohio that year, while noncustodial and stranger abductions combined made up just 24 cases statewide.

Hamilton County has consistently ranked among Ohio's busiest counties for these reports, recording 1,497 missing children filings in 2023, fourth-highest among all Ohio counties behind Franklin, Cuyahoga, and Montgomery. Youth between the ages of 13 and 17 represent the vast majority of missing children reports filed across the state each year, according to the Ohio Attorney General's office. Nationally, the Texas Center for the Missing has compiled FBI data showing 305,339 missing child reports filed in 2025, with runaway cases estimated to make up 80 to 85 percent of all youth disappearance reports.

Legislative Push to Track Long-Term Cases

State lawmakers have taken notice of how these cases are tracked once they extend beyond the first days or weeks. The Ohio House of Representatives passed House Bill 217, known as Andy Chapman's Act, earlier this year, which would require law enforcement agencies to submit missing child report details into the federal NamUs database within 30 days if a child remains missing. The bill amends Ohio Revised Code Section 2901.30 and establishes new digital recordkeeping requirements for agencies statewide.

While the vast majority of missing children are found safely, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has noted the risks that can accompany extended time on the street, estimating that roughly 1 in 7 runaway youth are likely victims of child sex trafficking or online exploitation. That context underscores why police departments like Cincinnati's continue to publicize these cases quickly and urge residents to call in tips rather than wait.

Anyone who has seen Pedro Camaja or has information about where he might be is urged to contact Det. Williams directly or reach Cincinnati Police dispatch through the non-emergency line.