Missing Kansas City boys 'safely located'

Two missing Missouri children have been “found safe” following a police investigation.

Kansas City police were called when brothers Javion and Emiliano Cruz-Smalls were reported missing in Kansas City. A Kansas City police officer has since said News week that the boys have been located and are safe.

The officer added that “detectives indicated both boys were safe.”

Police said the two men were last seen at 4 p.m. yesterday, walking in an unknown direction near 8 p.m.^th Prospect Street and Avenue.

Javion, 12, is 4'8″, with black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a sleeveless gray shirt with a shark on the front, black shorts with blue and orange trim and black shoes.

His brother, Emiliano, 11, is 4'6″, has black hair with shaved sides and an afro on top. He also has brown eyes. Emiliano was last seen wearing a t-shirt orange, peach pajama shorts and gray Vans tennis shoes.

The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department urged anyone with information related to missing persons cases to contact its missing persons unit at 816-234-5043 or call 911.

The Kansas City Police Department in Missouri currently lists 42 missing people on its website (not including Javion and Emiliano), including 22 women and 18 men.

Between 2007 and 2020, an average of 664,776 people went missing in the United States, according to the federally funded National Missing and Unidentified Persons (NamUS) database. This equates to approximately 6.5 missing people per 100,000 people.

According to NamUS, across all U.S. states and territories there are currently 25,122 missing persons cases, although they state in a disclaimer that this does not reflect all missing persons cases nationwide, but only those that were voluntarily reported.

Corey King, a Kentucky State Police trooper, said News week that it is estimated that the most critical time to resolve a case is two full days, or 48 hours.

In February, News week mapped missing persons cases by state.

NamUS data at the time showed Oklahoma had the largest percentage of missing people in the country, with 16 missing per 100,000 residents. Arizona followed with 14.2.

Louisiana and Arkansas were also above the national average, according to the report.

Massachusetts had the lowest percentage, at 2.7 per 100,000 residents.

John T. Majoy, police chief and president of the Cleveland Family Center for Missing Children and Adults, said: News week that more than 90 percent of missing children returned to their families within a short period of time.

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