The Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office is asking for help locating Amara Via, 17, who left her Lithopolis-area residence Tuesday evening and was last seen at about 6:04 p.m., according to the sheriff’s office alert. Investigators believe she may be in the Westerville or Groveport area.
The alert describes Via as a white female, about 5 feet 2 inches tall and 140 pounds, with brown hair. It says she was wearing black pants and a black shirt and had a blue backpack with pink straps. The missing juvenile report, number 2026-72798, was filed Tuesday.
The alert does not explain the circumstances of Via’s departure or why investigators named Westerville and Groveport as possible locations. It lists Deputy James H. Griffitts, IV, badge FC533, as a contact. Anyone with information about Via’s whereabouts is asked to call the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office at 740-652-7900.
What the broader figures show
Ohio recorded 15,367 missing-child cases in 2025, 1,037 fewer than in 2024, according to the Ohio Attorney General’s 2025 Ohio Missing Children Clearinghouse Report, as reported by WTOL. Separately, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children says it assisted with 32,167 missing-child cases in 2025 and that 90% of those children were recovered. These figures come from different sources and measures; neither describes Via’s case or its likely outcome.
For families reporting a missing child, Ohio law bars law enforcement agencies from policies that prohibit or discourage filing or taking action on a report within a specified waiting period, under Ohio Revised Code Section 2901.30. The statute provides statewide reporting context; it does not add details about the circumstances of Via’s disappearance.
