A missing 15-year-old boy was found in a closet at a Las Cruces residence more than a year after he was reported missing, and four residents now face charges, according to accounts from KTSM and CBS4/KFOX14.
Las Cruces police said the teenager was reported missing in July 2025 and was located during a Sept. 11, 2026, search of the home shared by Crystal J. Buster, 49, and Kim Renee Stevenson, 68. Police allege the boy had been allowed to stay there for months. The reports said he had not been attending school while missing.
Buster faces two counts each of child abuse and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Stevenson faces one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and two counts of failing to report child abuse or neglect, KDBC reported. Buster’s 21-year-old daughter and the daughter’s 19-year-old boyfriend, who also lived at the residence, each face two misdemeanor counts of failing to report child abuse or neglect.
The teenager was taken into custody and issued a Class III juvenile citation rather than delinquency charges, according to the local reports. The accounts said investigators developed information about his possible connection to Buster’s 15-year-old daughter before obtaining the search warrant. The allegations against the four adults have not been resolved in court.
How the case fits New Mexico’s missing-person system
New Mexico’s system is designed to accept reports broadly: the New Mexico Department of Public Safety says its Missing Persons Registry covers anyone reported missing, regardless of age. That means registry information can include circumstances and age groups that are not directly comparable with this case.
The department’s Missing Persons Reference Manual identifies Suzanne’s Law in its discussion of missing persons under age 21. The department also says its Missing Persons Clearinghouse posts cases publicly and maintains contact with law-enforcement agencies and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
Nationally, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children says it has assisted with the recovery of more than 480,000 missing-child cases since 1984 and reports a 90% overall recovery rate in its 2025 Impact Report. It also says runaway incidents account for the overwhelming majority of cases reported to the organization. Those national figures provide context for missing-child reports but do not establish a trend in Las Cruces or explain this individual case.
What remains unresolved
The available reports do not establish how the teenager reached the residence, why he remained there, whether anyone else knew he was there or how the charges will be resolved. Police asked anyone with information about a missing or runaway juvenile being harbored to call 575-526-0795.
For broader youth and family support, New Mexico’s Children, Youth, and Families Department says it provides services for children and youth who require more intensive care. Doña Ana County also lists La Piñon/KidTalk as a 24/7 crisis-line resource at 575-526-3437, according to its mental-health resources page.
