South Salt Lake police shared a Facebook post about a runaway juvenile.
A South Salt Lake Police Department Facebook post titled “Runaway Juvenile” was shared Wednesday.
Second South Salt Lake Runaway Case This Month
Almanza's disappearance marks at least the second time this month that South Salt Lake police have turned to the public for help locating a missing teen. Earlier in October, the department sought help locating 16-year-old runaway Jalissa Rae Lautaima, according to a report from Hoodline. The outcome of that search was not detailed in the department's public updates.
Other recent South Salt Lake cases involving missing juveniles have been resolved relatively quickly. In December 2025, a missing 12-year-old girl and her 14-year-old companion were located safe shortly after being reported missing and designated as endangered youth, the same report notes. And in November 2025, two runaway teens who had been missing since about 1 p.m. on a Saturday were found unharmed, according to Gephardt Daily.
Runaways Make Up Most Missing-Child Reports Nationwide
Almanza's case fits into a broader national pattern in which the overwhelming majority of missing-child reports involve runaways rather than abductions. Of nearly 29,000 missing-child reports received nationwide in 2023, 93% involved endangered runaways, and 48% were recovered within a week, per the Hoodline report. In 2025, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children assisted with 32,167 missing-child cases nationwide, 92% of which involved runaways, the same account states.
South Salt Lake police have not provided further details about Almanza's current status. Anyone with information is urged to contact the department using the phone number and case number listed above.
