Monroe County sheriff's deputies are searching for a 16-year-old Penfield girl who walked away from her home Saturday evening and has not been seen since. Angel Stasis was last seen leaving her residence at approximately 8 p.m., wearing black and white pajamas, according to investigators.
The teen stands about 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighs roughly 160 pounds, and has brown hair and green eyes, deputies said. As reported by Newport Dispatch, authorities are asking anyone with information on her whereabouts to call 911. Monroe County Sheriff's deputies told local media that Stasis was not believed to be in immediate danger at the time she left her Penfield home, according to WYSL NewsPower 1040.
That early threat assessment helps explain why Stasis's case has not triggered a statewide AMBER Alert. Under New York protocol, that kind of urgent alert is reserved for cases involving a child believed to have been abducted and facing serious bodily harm or death, while non-abduction missing youth reports, including possible runaway situations, are instead handled under Missing Child Alerts, per the New York State Office of Children and Family Services.
How Investigators Are Coordinating the Search
The Monroe County Sheriff's Office handles primary law enforcement and investigative duties for Penfield, operating out of its headquarters at 130 S. Plymouth Ave in Rochester, with a non-emergency administrative line at (585) 753-4178 for tips that aren't urgent sightings. Residents who spot Stasis or have immediate information are still directed to call 911 rather than the administrative line.
Local deputies aren't working alone. The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services runs a Missing Persons Clearinghouse that backs up local police with poster creation, investigative support, and cross-jurisdictional lead tracking through a toll-free hotline, 1-800-346-3543. New York also sponsors Operation SAFE CHILD, a program administered by county sheriff's offices in partnership with DCJS that stores voluntary digital fingerprints, photos, and vital statistics so records can be instantly dispatched to law enforcement databases statewide if a child goes missing, according to Rensselaer County.
Why Teen Disappearances Draw Urgent Attention
Even when foul play isn't suspected, cases like this one are treated with urgency because of how common and how risky teen disappearances can be. The FBI's National Crime Information Center logged 533,936 missing person records nationwide in 2024, with juveniles under 18 making up 27 percent of active missing person records at year's end, the agency reported.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children notes that runaways make up the majority of missing child reports it handles each year, and the organization estimates that roughly 1 in 7 runaway children are at risk of becoming victims of child sex trafficking. Multi-agency operations have made a dent in those numbers recently; the NYS DCJS Missing Persons Clearinghouse joined law enforcement in sweeps that located dozens of missing youth across New York counties, including an effort targeting 50 active missing child cases in Erie County, according to the National Child Protection Task Force.
Push for Faster Alerts Underway in Albany
State lawmakers are also working to streamline how families can request public notifications. During the current legislative session, New York lawmakers introduced Senate Bill S5699 to create a formal process letting parents or legal guardians directly request missing child alerts from the Division of State Police, according to the New York State Senate. Under current rules, police agencies must initiate public alert requests through state portals rather than families doing so themselves.
Families and witnesses connected to Monroe County missing person investigations can also access case updates and advocacy resources through the Monroe County District Attorney's Victim-Witness Bureau. For now, deputies' message to the public remains simple: if you've seen Angel Stasis or know where she might be, call 911.
