Cleveland police are asking for the public's help finding 14-year-old Max Serrano, who has not been seen since September 11. Serrano was last associated with the Cleveland area, and investigators believe he remains in the local area, according to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
The teen's case was featured by FOX 8 Cleveland, which reported his age and the date he went missing. Anyone with information is asked to call the Cleveland Division of Police's Missing Persons Unit intake line at 216-623-5262. Serrano's case has also been logged under National Crime Information Center case number M299104060 by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, which publishes official national posters for missing youth in coordination with local law enforcement.
Part of a Broader Push to Find Missing Northeast Ohio Youth
Serrano's disappearance comes just days after the U.S. Marshals Service announced the conclusion of Operation Meridian, a monthlong sweep across Ohio in August focused on the state's most endangered missing children, per the agency's own account.
FOX 8 Cleveland has also featured missing-youth cases through its daily “Missing with Amanda Berry” segments. Hoodline has reported on other recent cases involving Cleveland teens, including Davion Starks.
What local records show
For local context, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children reported in 2023 that Cleveland police said 1,072 juveniles had gone missing in Cleveland that year and 1,020 had been recovered. Those figures describe the city overall and do not establish anything about Serrano’s circumstances, according to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Recent cases have had different outcomes. In a separate Cleveland case reported Aug. 24, 2024, Cleveland 19 News said police found a 13-year-old girl who had been reported missing and that she returned home; the circumstances and outcome differ from Serrano’s still-unresolved case.
How Ohio Tracks and Responds to Missing Child Reports
The Ohio Attorney General’s Missing Children Clearinghouse report says Ohio Revised Code Section 2901.30 requires law enforcement to take missing-children reports, investigate them promptly and make a concerted effort to locate the child, according to the Ohio Attorney General.
When a case does not meet the strict criteria for a statewide AMBER Alert, local police can instead request an Endangered Missing Child Alert through the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, according to the Department of Public Safety Police Division. Separately, Joshua Alerts concern children under 18 with autism or developmental disabilities, per SpecialNeeds.com.
Official records provide context, but not an explanation for Serrano’s disappearance
Police have not publicly detailed the circumstances of Serrano’s disappearance, including whether it involved a runaway situation, an abduction or another circumstance.
Anyone with information about Max Serrano's whereabouts is urged to contact Cleveland police's Missing Persons Unit.
