Santa Rosa police are searching for a missing 13-year-old girl and the 19-year-old man they believe she is traveling with, and they say he urgently needs medical treatment.
Story Snapshot
- Deanna Mendoza Pfoutz, 13, was reported missing October 1; Jaden Wilson, 19, was reported missing October 5.
- Witnesses reported seeing the pair together in Petaluma on October 4 and in Santa Rosa on October 5.
- Police say Wilson has a medical condition that requires treatment, raising concern for his welfare.
- Authorities say there is no indication either person is the victim of a crime.
- Santa Rosa police are asking anyone with information to call their non-emergency dispatch line.
Two Separate Missing Reports Converge
Deanna Mendoza Pfoutz was first reported missing on October 1, while Jaden Wilson was reported missing four days later, on October 5. The cases carry separate police file numbers, 26-10877 and 26-11047. Investigators now believe the two reports describe the same unfolding situation, after witnesses say they spotted the pair together in Petaluma on October 4 and again in Santa Rosa the following day.
Police describe Pfoutz as about 4 feet 11 inches tall and 120 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes. Wilson is described as about 5 feet 4 inches tall and also 120 pounds. Santa Rosa police have labeled both of them “at-risk,” a classification that triggers a faster public search even though officers have not accused anyone of a crime.
A Medical Concern Raises Urgency
Santa Rosa police say Wilson has a medical condition that requires ongoing treatment, and that his absence from care is a central reason for the urgent search. Officers have not released details about the condition, the treatment schedule, or what happens if it goes untreated. Privacy rules around medical information and a minor’s case often limit what departments can say publicly, even during an active search.
Despite the urgent tone of the appeal, Santa Rosa police have stated plainly that there is no indication either Pfoutz or Wilson is the victim of a crime. That distinction matters. It means the search is being run as a welfare check and location effort, not as a criminal investigation into an abduction, even as the public is asked to stay alert.
What National Data Say About Missing-Person Cases
Cases like this one fit a pattern seen across the country. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s national database logged 533,936 missing-person entries in 2024, and 95% of those were coded as runaway cases. Only about 0.1% were coded as stranger abductions. That context does not prove what happened here, but it shows why police treat most youth disappearances as welfare matters first.
Public appeals like this one often work. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children says it helped with 29,568 missing-child reports in 2024, and 91% of those children were found safe. A separate nationwide operation led by federal marshals recovered 225 endangered missing children, with 62% located within a week of agents getting involved. Those numbers support why police move fast to get the word out.
How Residents Can Help
Santa Rosa police are asking anyone who sees Pfoutz or Wilson, together or separately, to call the department’s non-emergency dispatch line at 707-528-5222. A second number, 707-543-3595, is set up for people with broader investigative information. Multiple outlets, including NBC Bay Area, CBS News, and the San Francisco Chronicle, have independently confirmed the same names, dates, and sighting locations, giving the public a consistent picture to work from.
No confirmed sighting has been reported since October 5, and police have not said where they believe the pair are now. The case remains open, and officers say both the medical concern for Wilson and Pfoutz’s age keep it an active priority. Anyone with firsthand information is urged to contact Santa Rosa police directly rather than share unverified tips on social media.
Police in Santa Rosa are asking some residents to check their yards for a woman with dementia who went missing Monday. https://t.co/uOL8gywAwX
— KTVU (@KTVU) October 13, 2026
The investigation continues, and police have given no timeline for when they expect an update. For now, the known facts are limited to the reported dates, the two sightings, and the department’s description of both individuals as at-risk but not confirmed crime victims.
Sources:
nypost.com, nbcbayarea.com, cbsnews.com, sfchronicle.com, yahoo.com, hindustantimes.com, patch.com
