DC police issue critical missing alert for 12-year-old Hyattsville girl
DC police said 12-year-old Susana Carranza Hernandez was last seen on Chillum Road in Hyattsville, and tips can be sent by phone or text.
Metropolitan Police issued a critical missing-person alert for 12-year-old Susana Carranza Hernandez after she was last seen in the 2400 block of Chillum Road in Hyattsville. The department asked the public to call (202) 727-9099 or text 50411 with any tip that could help locate her.
The alert matters because MPD classifies anyone under 15 as a critical missing person, along with anyone over 65 and anyone whose circumstances suggest urgent danger, foul play, or another immediate risk. MPD also says there is no 48-hour waiting period to report a child missing, and that the first 48 hours are especially important.
Maryland State Police gives the same warning: there is no waiting period in Maryland to report a missing person, and families can call 911 right away. Once a report is filed, the Maryland Center for Missing and Unidentified Persons can be reached at 1-800-MDS-KIDS, or 1-800-637-5437, for missing-person assistance.
Prince George’s County Police uses a similar definition for a critical missing person, including anyone under 15, and says it closes more than 99 percent of missing-person cases. MPD says it closes more than 99 percent of its missing-person cases as well, usually in a short time, underscoring how quickly investigators try to move once a child is reported missing.
The case also sits in the gap between a local missing-person alert and the more severe AMBER Alert system. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children says AMBER Alerts are used in the most serious child-abduction cases and are pushed through radio, TV, road signs, cellphones, and other devices; by Dec. 31, 2025, those activations had helped recover 1,312 children.
In Hyattsville, city officials keep crime reports, crime maps, and public-safety tools on the city website, giving residents another way to track police activity in real time while the search continues. The key details remain the same: Susana Carranza Hernandez was last seen on Chillum Road, and investigators want tips immediately.
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