Cleveland Police Ask Public’s Help Finding 13-Year-Old King Taliaferro Missing After Leaving School Tuesday

Search underway after student reported missing

Cleveland police are asking for the public’s help locating a 13-year-old boy who was reported missing after leaving school on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026.

Police identified the child as King Taliaferro. Investigators said he was last seen leaving school and walking west on Castalia Avenue toward Hayden. The Cleveland Division of Police’s Fifth District has circulated the missing-person alert.

Description and last-known clothing

Police described King Taliaferro as a Black male, about 5 feet tall and weighing roughly 100 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair.

He was last seen wearing a school uniform that included khaki pants, white-and-blue Jordan shoes, and an olive-colored coat.

• Name: King Taliaferro
• Age: 13
• Last seen: Leaving school on Feb. 17, 2026
• Direction of travel: West on Castalia Avenue toward Hayden
• Clothing: Khaki pants, white-and-blue Jordans, olive coat

How missing-juvenile cases are handled

Police agencies routinely stress that there is no waiting period to report a person missing, including a child. Missing-juvenile reports can be time-sensitive, particularly when a child’s movements after last being seen are uncertain and when investigators need to quickly verify routes, contacts, and potential destinations.

In school-related disappearances, investigators and family members often work to reconstruct the last hours through a combination of interviews, checks of likely walking routes, and outreach to anyone who may have seen the child after dismissal. Clothing descriptions are used to help the public and responding officers recognize the child in real time.

What police are asking from the public

Police are asking anyone with information that could help locate King Taliaferro to contact the Cleveland Division of Police Fifth District. Tips can be directed to Fifth District Officer Harris at 216-327-7158. The department’s non-emergency number is 216-621-1234.

Anyone with information that could help locate the child is urged to call police immediately.

Police did not release additional details Tuesday about where King attends school, what time he was last seen, or whether investigators have identified a specific destination. The investigation remained active as of Tuesday afternoon.