GIRARD, PA — Police in Erie County are asking for the public’s help finding 15-year-old Evalina Ross, who was reported missing on Sept. 3. Girard police say she was last known to be in the Erie, Pennsylvania, area and may have been seen in the Northeast, though that information has not been confirmed.
Investigators are urging people in Erie County and nearby communities to stay alert and share any information that could help locate her. Police say community tips can be important in missing-person cases, especially when a teenager has been out of contact for more than a week.
What police say Evalina Ross looked like when she disappeared
Authorities describe Ross as 5 feet 1 inch tall with a distinctive hair color pattern: pink on the left side and dark brown on the right. Police say she has piercings in both ears and on both sides of her nose, details they hope will help people recognize her.
When she went missing, Ross was reportedly wearing a black hoodie, a blue tank top, shorts, and purple-and-pink high-top sneakers. Police also say she may have been carrying a pink backpack with a checker pattern.
Those details are part of the description investigators are circulating as they try to build a clearer timeline of where she may have gone after Sept. 3. The department has not said how she disappeared or where she was last seen before the search began.
Unconfirmed Northeast sighting remains under review
One possible sighting has drawn attention, but police have stressed that the information remains unverified. Girard police said the reported Northeast-area sighting has not been confirmed and should be treated as a lead, not a conclusion.
That caution matters in a missing-person investigation, where early tips can be useful but may also turn out to be mistaken. Investigators are continuing to review leads as they work to establish Ross’s whereabouts.
For now, police are asking residents not to assume the unconfirmed sighting means she has been located. Instead, they want anyone who may have seen Ross, or who has information about where she may be staying or traveling, to contact investigators right away.
Why investigators are asking the community to stay alert
Girard police are reaching beyond the immediate area because Ross was reported missing from the Erie County region and may have traveled locally or farther away. Officials say people in surrounding areas could still have seen her, even if they do not realize the detail was connected to a missing-person case.
Law enforcement agencies often depend on small observations from the public in cases like this, such as a person seen at a store, bus stop, park, or neighborhood street. Police have not said whether Ross has any known destination or whether investigators believe foul play is involved.
The department’s message is simple: if someone recognizes Ross from her description, they should not wait. Even a small piece of information could help investigators determine where she was last and where she may have gone next.
How to contact Girard police with tips or sightings
Anyone with information about Ross is being asked to call the Girard Police Department at (814) 868-7911. Police say the public should contact them immediately if they believe they have seen her or know anything related to her disappearance.
Investigators have not announced any additional public update, and no new confirmed location has been released. The department continues to gather leads while asking residents across Erie County and nearby communities to remain watchful.
Because Ross is a minor, police are treating the case with urgency and are relying heavily on public awareness. Officials say direct tips to investigators are the fastest way to help narrow the search.
What is known so far about the missing-person case
So far, police have confirmed Ross’s age, the date she was reported missing, and the general area where she was last known to be. They have also shared a detailed physical description and clothing information to help the public identify her.
What investigators have not confirmed is just as important: the possible Northeast sighting has not been verified, and police have not publicly outlined any specific reason for her disappearance. For now, the case remains an active search for a teenager who has been missing since early September.
As the investigation continues, authorities are counting on residents to keep an eye out and pass along any credible information. Police say that kind of help can be critical when a missing person case stretches beyond the first few days.
