Mariposa County sheriff seeks public’s help to find missing Indigenous teen
The Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help to locate a 14-year-old Indigenous boy who was reported missing Sunday.
Benny Maximillian Richard Reyes, a member of the Wukchumni Tribe, was last seen at about 2:20 p.m. near the 5800 block of Darrah Road, about 10 miles east of Mariposa.
The Sheriff’s Office said Reyes is believed to have left Mariposa County, according to a news release.
The teenager is described as 5 feet, 5 inches tall, weighing about 100 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. At the time he was last seen, Benny was wearing a black sweater, black jeans, red Nike shoes and a black hat with a gold saint on it, the news release said.
Community leaders emphasize that missing Indigenous youth cases require immediate urgency, particularly amid the ongoing Missing and Murdered Indigenous People crisis impacting Native communities across California and the U.S.
“We are asking the public to stand with Benny’s family and community by sharing his flyer, remaining alert and reporting any information that could assist in bringing him home safely,” organizers stated.
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of the boy’s location is urged to contact the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office at 209-966-3615 or their local law enforcement agency. You can also call 911.
This story was originally published May 14, 2026 at 8:42 AM with the headline "Mariposa County sheriff seeks public’s help to find missing Indigenous teen."
