A 13-year-old Petworth girl has been missing for a week, and her family is asking the community to help find her. Katherine “Ash” Stallard was last seen outside her school last Wednesday. D.C. police classified her as a critical missing person, NBC4 Washington reported.
What ‘Critical Missing Person’ Means
MPD’s missing-persons website defines a “critical missing person” as someone under 15, or someone designated critical by a district watch commander based on specific circumstances. The cited definition explains who qualifies but does not specify a particular response triggered by the designation.
According to NBC4 Washington, police said Stallard was last seen in the 3700 block of North Capitol Street NW on November 4. Her mother, Marianne Bakia, said she dropped her daughter off at Creative Minds International Public Charter School that morning, but when she returned at the end of the day to pick her up, Stallard was gone.
Stallard typically attends an afterschool program at the school, but she did not show up that day, the outlet reports. Her family has said she has a developmental disability. Bakia characterized her as trusting and younger-seeming than her age.
Surveillance Footage Offers a Clue to Her Last Known Movements
Surveillance footage reviewed in the case shows Stallard walking down Rock Creek Church Road outside the school with two other students. Bakia believes those students are her daughter's classmates, while police have said the two are boys, per the same NBC4 report.
When she disappeared, Stallard was wearing a white furry coat, a white shirt, and silver boots, the station notes. Bakia has said her daughter left without any extra clothes, identification, money, or a phone.
Neighbors Asked to Check Cameras and Share Fliers
Bakia and a group of loved ones gathered in Petworth on Wednesday evening to put up fliers bearing Stallard's photo, as reported by NBC4 Washington, hoping someone in the neighborhood might recognize her. The family is also urging Petworth residents to check their own surveillance cameras for any sign of the teen.
Marie Nelson, speaking on behalf of the family, said they want every available resource used to find Stallard, as noted by NBC4 Washington. Bakia described the search as deeply distressing.
D.C. police are asking anyone with information about Stallard's whereabouts to call 202-727-9099, NBC4 Washington reported.
