Kristal Marcela Pérez, a junior at Fuquay-Varina High School, has been missing since Nov. 11, 2025. Her parents and local police are currently investigating the specifics of her whereabouts. She was last seen wearing a brown sweater and black pants, her family says.
In response to the more than 10,000 missing persons reported in North Carolina each year, the North Carolina Center for Missing Persons writes, “Reasons for these disappearances may include problems at home, health or mental issues, snags with the law, or a taste for adventure. Most eventually return or are found by law enforcement officers and do not involve foul play.”
Of the 11,799 cases reported in North Carolina this year, only 581 remain active and unsolved, meaning that the chances of not only Pérez, but other students in the area that have gone missing returning home, are more than likely.
The reasons for going missing, as stated above, vary in terms of danger and seriousness. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t treat each case with the same effort, but it serves as a way to ease the worries of local families and to raise awareness of potential warning signs. There’s no way to be completely sure if someone around you will ever go missing or run away, but there are signals that you can look out for, such as social isolation, a sudden change in behavior or attitude or a decline in self-care.
Pérez’s family has not stated whether or not she has run away, just that she hasn’t returned home. Though her disappearance was very sudden and unexpected, it’s important to be aware that not all disappearances may be the same.
If you have seen Kristal or know anything that may help in the investigation, please call 911 or 919-586-5454.
