ANCHORAGE, AK – Anchorage police said 13-year-old Jay Moriwaki has been located after they asked the public for help finding him. The update ended a missing-person notice that described when and where he was last seen and what he was wearing.
Police had said Moriwaki was last seen around 10 p.m. Saturday near the 1600 block of Vashon Circle. In the initial alert, officers shared his age, physical description and clothing in hopes that someone would recognize him and come forward.
Police had asked for help finding the teenager near Vashon Circle
Anchorage police issued the missing-person request after Moriwaki was reported missing. The notice centered on the area around the 1600 block of Vashon Circle, where he was last seen late Saturday night.
Officials did not immediately release additional details about where he had gone or how he was found. The department’s update simply said he had been located, which was the key development in the case.
Missing-person alerts often rely on the public spotting a child or teen who matches a description. In this case, police put out enough identifying details to help people look carefully without naming any suspected wrongdoing or giving a broader explanation of the disappearance.
Details released in the original missing-person alert
Police described Moriwaki as 13 years old, about 5-foot-2 and roughly 100 pounds. They said he has brown hair and brown eyes.
That kind of description is common in a missing-person case because it gives residents a way to compare what they see with the person police are looking for. Officers also shared the time of night he was last seen, a detail that can help narrow the window for sightings.
The alert gave only basic identifying information, not a larger background on the teenager. The goal was to make it as easy as possible for anyone with relevant information to recognize him and contact police quickly.
What Moriwaki was wearing when he disappeared
When he was last seen, Moriwaki was wearing a black Pokémon sweatshirt featuring Snorlax and a black cap. Police included those clothing details in the notice because unusual or memorable items can help someone identify a missing child.
Clothing descriptions can matter just as much as height, weight or hair color when officers are trying to track down a young person. A sweatshirt with a recognizable character such as Snorlax can stand out if a witness saw him somewhere else later in the evening.
The police alert did not say whether anyone had reported seeing the boy after he was last seen near Vashon Circle. It also did not say how long he had been missing before the notice was updated.
How Anchorage residents were told to contact police
Anchorage police asked anyone with information about Moriwaki’s whereabouts to call 3-1-1 and choose option one, or call 907-786-8900 and press zero. The department also said anonymous tips could be submitted through Crime Stoppers.
Those contact options are typical in a local missing-person search, especially when officers want information from neighbors, drivers or anyone who may have noticed the boy near the area where he was last seen.
By sharing multiple ways to reach investigators, police made it easier for people to pass along even small details. In cases like this, a phone call about a possible sighting can be enough to move an investigation forward.
Why the case mattered to families and neighbors
Although police later said Moriwaki had been found, the initial alert reflected the urgency that comes with any report involving a missing 13-year-old. For families, the first hours after a child disappears are often the most stressful, and public notices are one of the fastest tools available.
The Anchorage Police Department’s update closed the immediate search effort that had been directed at the public. Even so, the case showed how quickly officers turn to residents when they need eyes on the ground in a neighborhood.
At the time of the alert, police were relying on the community to help identify the boy and share information. Once he was located, that public request was no longer needed, and the department’s message shifted to confirmation rather than a search.
