The California Highway Patrol activated an Ebony Alert on Thursday, Oct. 22, for a 15-year-old girl missing from Winchester, an unincorporated community near Murrieta.
Kushani Boyd was last seen around 9 p.m. on Oct. 15 at San Remo Drive and Matino Lane, according to the CHP, which activated the alert on behalf of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. The Sheriff's Department notified the CHP of Boyd's disappearance on Oct. 22, Patch reported.
Boyd is described as 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighing 125 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a black shirt and black pants.
The specific circumstances of Boyd's disappearance have not been publicly disclosed by the Riverside County Sheriff's Department or the CHP. No public update indicating Boyd has been found was available as of Friday, Oct. 23.
What is an Ebony Alert?
The Ebony Alert program became California law in 2024 through Senate Bill 673, later amended by Assembly Bill 173, according to the CHP's Ebony Alert page. The program helps locate missing Black youth and young adults between the ages of 12 and 25 who have disappeared under unexplained or suspicious circumstances, or who may be at risk, developmentally disabled, cognitively impaired or abducted.
For an alert to be activated, a law enforcement agency may consider whether the missing person's physical safety is endangered, whether the person may be subject to trafficking, or whether the person is believed to be in the company of a potentially dangerous person. Environmental or weather conditions that pose a risk and the person's age, health or disability may also factor into the decision.
The investigating agency must have used all available local resources before requesting activation.
How to help
The CHP asks anyone who sees Boyd or has information about her location to call 911 immediately. Be prepared to provide a location, relevant descriptions and details about any vehicle involved.
