Lost & found missing persons in Merced

Found teenage girl near Merced County Courthouse

I found a teenage girl around 3:15pm this afternoon behind the Merced County Courthouse on 14th Street. She's about 5'5", with light brown hair in a loose ponytail, wearing a red hoodie with a white logo, dark blue jeans, and white sneakers. She has a small compass tattoo on her left wrist and a blue backpack with a star patch. She looked shaken, kept asking for her mom, and wasn’t sure of her name. I stayed with her until I could confirm she was safe and checked for ID or a phone—no luck. If this sounds like your missing family member, send me a message here and we can verify details to get her home.