A 3-year-old girl last seen wearing a pink bathing suit on Gall Boulevard in Zephyrhills has been missing for more than a week, and Florida authorities have now escalated the case to a statewide Missing Child Alert. Abigail Masartis was last seen on Sept. 29 in the 6800 block of Gall Boulevard, and investigators believe she may be in the company of two adults, one of whom has a felony arrest record in Pasco County.
Alert Escalated After New Investigative Developments
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement issued the Missing Child Alert for Abigail on Wednesday, October 7, more than a week after she was reported missing, according to Tampa Bay 28. FDLE specified that the upgrade to a statewide alert was triggered by ongoing investigative developments, though the agency has not detailed what those developments were. Abigail is described as 2 feet 6 inches tall, weighing 30 pounds, with brown hair and an unknown eye color, per the outlet's report.
Florida's Missing Child Alert system is distinct from the more widely known AMBER Alert. Created by FDLE in 2003, the system requires law enforcement to determine that a minor's life is in danger, but unlike an AMBER Alert, it does not require evidence or a clear indication of an abduction, according to Action News Jax. That distinction matters here, since no abduction has been confirmed in Abigail's case.
Who the Child May Be Traveling With
Abigail may be in the company of two adults, Nicholas Masartis and Olivia Dotson, per the Tampa Bay 28 report. Official FDLE alert notices identify Nicholas Masartis as 34 years old with tattoos on both arms, while Olivia Dotson is 28 years old with tattoos on her shoulder, back, and left arm. Nicholas Masartis is described as a white male standing 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighing 150 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes, while Dotson is a white female standing 5 feet 6 inches tall with sandy hair and blue eyes and an unlisted weight, the station reported.
Public booking records reviewed by Pascocountyarrests.com show that Nicholas Masartis has a criminal history in Pasco County, including an April 2026 arrest on felony charges of armed burglary and illegal possession of a firearm by a felon. Law enforcement has advised the public not to approach Abigail if she is located, and to contact law enforcement immediately instead.
A Commercial Corridor With Regional Reach
The 6800 block of Gall Boulevard, where Abigail was last seen, runs along U.S. Route 301, a heavily traveled commercial corridor connecting eastern Pasco County to Dade City and regional highway routes, as Hoodline has previously reported. The corridor's connections to broader regional travel routes could complicate efforts to pin down where the child and her companions may have gone.
Under Florida law, officers are required to act without delay once a report like this comes in. Florida Statute § 937.021 mandates that law enforcement agencies accept missing child reports without any waiting period and immediately log case information into state and national law enforcement databases. Pasco County Sheriff's Office protocol for missing endangered juvenile cases also calls for issuing immediate regional Be On the Look Out broadcasts to neighboring agencies and coordinating statewide alerts with FDLE, according to a document published by the New Smyrna Beach Police Department.
How Florida's Alert System Typically Plays Out
Once a Missing Child Alert is issued, state transportation infrastructure can be mobilized to help. Under Florida Department of Transportation operating procedures, alerts are authorized for broadcast on highway dynamic message signs for up to six hours in targeted geographic areas where authorities believe the child may be located, according to a Florida Senate analysis. The alerts are processed through FDLE's Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse, established in 1983 as the nation's first state-level clearinghouse created to coordinate missing child investigations across local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.
The track record for these alerts offers some context for how often they end well. During 2025, the clearinghouse issued 81 Missing Child Alerts across Florida, and 77 of them resulted in the safe recovery of the child, according to Florida Politics. It remains unclear what relationship, if any, the two adults have to Abigail, and investigators have not said whether they suspect custodial interference or another scenario.
Anyone who sees Abigail Masartis is asked not to approach her and to contact law enforcement immediately. The Pasco County Sheriff's Office can be reached at 727-847-8102, and the public can also call 911 with any information.
