A Dyker Heights mother and her two young children have been missing for more than a week, and the NYPD is now asking the public for help finding them. Lisa Koch, 40, left her family's home in Dyker Heights following an argument with her husband on the morning of October 9, taking her 5-year-old daughter Thea Wood and 9-year-old son Oliver Wood with her, according to police sources.
Koch left the house at about 10:10 a.m. that day, according to cops cited by the New York Daily News.
What Police Are Looking For
Koch is described as about 5 feet 8 inches tall and 135 pounds, with shoulder-length red hair and blue eyes, per the same account. Her children, Thea and Oliver, were with her.
Anyone with information is asked to contact NYPD Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS. The 68th Precinct patrols Dyker Heights.
AMBER Alert Criteria
Under New York's AMBER Alert plan, emergency broadcast alerts can be activated when law enforcement has reasonable cause to believe a child was abducted, or that the child is in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death.
When a case doesn't clear that bar, New York agencies can instead request a Missing Child Alert through the state's Missing Persons Clearinghouse, which publicizes missing children and vulnerable adults online and through state media channels, according to the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services.
The disappearance comes as the NYPD has moved to bolster its response to domestic disputes more broadly. Mayor Eric Adams and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch launched a citywide domestic violence unit in October 2025 that placed dedicated domestic violence investigators directly into every local precinct detective squad, according to Police1. City officials said at the time that domestic and intimate partner violence had accounted for roughly 40 percent of felony assaults in New York over the preceding five years. In Brooklyn, the District Attorney's Office also runs a dedicated Domestic Violence Bureau that investigates and prosecutes more than 10,000 intimate partner violence cases each year, alongside the Brooklyn Family Justice Center, per the Kings County District Attorney's Office.
What the Numbers Say About Missing Children Cases
Statewide data offers some context, though it does not speak to the specifics of this case. State Division of Criminal Justice Services figures show 10,629 children under 18 were reported missing across New York in 2025, with roughly 94 percent of those classified as runaways, as reported by Newsweek. Separately, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children tracked 2,591 missing children reports in New York in 2025, with 2,450 of those cases resolved by early 2026, according to the Hudson Valley Post.
Koch and her children have now been missing for more than a week, according to police.
Similar Cases Across Brooklyn
Anyone with information on Koch's whereabouts is urged to call NYPD Crime Stoppers.
