A Baton Rouge mother is pleading for the public's help finding her 16-year-old son, who left their Istrouma-area home earlier this month and has not been seen or heard from since. Shaketa Heard says her son, Arnez Heard, walked out the door on October 16 telling her he'd be back that evening. He never returned.
According to WBRZ, Shaketa Heard told the station that Arnez left his family's home in the Istrouma area on October 16, and that he said he would return that evening. Family members say he was last seen in Baton Rouge, and Shaketa Heard said her son has not been seen or heard from since he walked out that day.
Shaketa Heard has also described her son publicly as having braided hair, per the station's report. Nearly two weeks have now passed since Arnez was last seen, with no word from him.
Family Asks Public to Call With Any Information
Shaketa Heard is asking anyone with information about her son's whereabouts to contact Baton Rouge police or reach out to her directly, the same account notes. The number 225-620-9223 was listed for Baton Rouge police and as Shaketa Heard's cell. WBRZ reported that it has reached out to the Baton Rouge Police Department for more information on the case.
How Louisiana Tracks Missing Children Statewide
Cases like Arnez Heard's fall under a broader statewide system designed to help families and law enforcement share information quickly. The Louisiana Clearinghouse for Missing and Exploited Children serves as the state's central hub for information on missing and exploited children, according to Louisiana State Police. The clearinghouse, established by the Louisiana Legislature in 1985, partners with parents, guardians, law enforcement, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to distribute information about missing kids.
Louisiana State Police also outlines what's known as a Level II Endangered/Missing Child Advisory, which is issued when a missing child does not meet AMBER Alert criteria but circumstances indicate the child may be in danger and needs immediate assistance. It is not known whether any such advisory, or any other official alert, has been issued in connection with Arnez Heard's case.
Nationally, the scale of missing-child cases remains significant even as most are resolved. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children says it assisted with 32,167 cases of missing children in 2025, and that 90% of those children were recovered, while its Team Adam program supported 296 cases involving long-term or critically missing children that same year, according to the organization.
Other Recent Baton Rouge-Area Cases
Baton Rouge has seen other missing-persons cases resolve in starkly different ways this year. In August, DNA testing confirmed that human remains found at the East Baton Rouge Parish North Landfill belonged to missing 15-year-old Ja'Derrius Minnieweather, WAFB reported. Earlier that same month, Louisiana State Police issued a Silver Alert for 64-year-old Chester Baggett after he was last seen on Florida Boulevard in Baton Rouge; he was later found safe, the station also reported.
For now, no information has been made public about Arnez Heard's current whereabouts or whether he has been located since he was last seen nearly two weeks ago. His family continues to ask anyone with information to come forward.
