A 42-year-old New Port Richey woman who vanished from the Woodsville Drive area in mid-August is safe, according to a Wednesday night update from investigators. Taisha Cano had been missing since September 26, when deputies first sought the public's help locating her, and was last seen on August 15 at approximately 5:05 p.m. near Woodsville Drive.
The update came late Wednesday in a social media post from the Pasco Sheriff
, which simply stated that Cano had been found and was safe, days after deputies had circulated a description noting she stands about 5 feet tall, weighs approximately 115 pounds, and has brown hair and brown eyes. The office had asked anyone with information about her whereabouts to call its non-emergency line or submit a tip online, though it has not released details about where or how she was located.
A Striking Echo of Her 2024 Disappearance
Cano's case carries an unusual wrinkle: this is not the first time she has gone missing in New Port Richey on the same date. In 2024, the Pasco Sheriff's Office issued a missing person notice for Cano on August 20 after she was reported missing on August 15 — the exact same calendar date as her 2026 disappearance — from the Jenner Avenue area of New Port Richey. At the time, she was listed as 40 years old and 190 pounds.
Law enforcement routinely withholds details about where missing adults are located or the specific circumstances of their disappearance in order to protect personal privacy, per the sheriff's office. That means the exact reasons behind Cano's repeated disappearances on the same date two years apart remain unexplained publicly.
Why Deputies Moved So Fast
The quick public notification tied to Cano's case reflects a statutory requirement, not just departmental practice. Under Florida Statute 937.021, law enforcement agencies are prohibited from imposing any mandatory waiting period before accepting a missing person report and must enter credible report details into state and national criminal justice databases within two hours, according to the outlet Uncovered Investigates. The same statute mandates that if a missing adult case remains open after 90 days, the agency must submit it to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System and attempt to collect biological DNA specimens, per the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation.
Those rules exist against a backdrop of significant volume. The Florida Missing Children's Day Foundation reports that 53,331 missing child and adult reports were submitted to law enforcement statewide in 2023, citing Florida Crime Information Center data. Separately, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse issued 404 state-level missing person alerts in 2024 through its public alert programs.
Where Cano Went Missing
Woodsville Drive, where Cano was last seen before her safe recovery, sits within Pasco Sheriff's Office District 3, a 135-square-mile patrol sector covering southwest Pasco County west of U.S. Highway 41 and south of Ridge Road, according to the sheriff's office. That district is broken into 10 patrol zones averaging roughly 14 square miles each.
Deputies searching for missing residents across the county's more than 800 square miles have access to an unmanned aerial drone program launched in 2015, which is equipped with thermal imaging capable of spotting heat signatures in dense brush or at night, per Police1. Residents can also submit tips, including photos or video, directly through PascoSheriff.com/tips, which feed into the agency's Real-Time Crime Center for evaluation by intelligence analysts before being forwarded to field deputies.
Part of a Busy Fall for Pasco Searches
Cano's case is one of several missing-person episodes Pasco deputies have worked through in recent weeks. In early October, deputies circulated public search bulletins for other missing local residents, including 16-year-old Jalexi Rodriguez and 15-year-old Zoey Northrup; Northrup was later found safe. Hoodline also reported on a statewide alert issued for a missing 3-year-old from eastern Pasco County.
The run of cases comes amid leadership transition at the agency. Longtime Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco, who has led the office since 2011, announced in May that he will resign in November to run for Florida Senate District 21, according to the Wesley Chapel Community Website, with Governor Ron DeSantis expected to appoint an interim sheriff to finish out his term.
