Richard Lee Mendez, 15, was last seen February 17, 2026, in Lancaster, California. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has issued an alert for his disappearance under case number 2080420; the case is also listed in NCIC as M178837190. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is the lead agency handling the investigation.

No further details about the circumstances of his disappearance or what he was wearing when last seen have been released. Anyone with information about Richard’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children; tips can be reported by calling 911 or using NCMEC’s tip submission features.

If anyone knew Richard or saw him in Lancaster around February 17, please share what you know with investigators.