Authorities in Chester County are asking the public for help locating a missing teenage girl who was last seen in the Oxford area of Pennsylvania nearly a week ago, raising concerns among law enforcement and community members alike.
Zahari Hunt, 15, was reported missing after she was last seen on May 20, 2026. West Whiteland Township Police, who are leading the search, confirmed that her last known location was in the Oxford area on May 22, two days after she was initially reported missing.
The gap between her disappearance and her last confirmed sighting has added urgency to the ongoing search effort.
According to police, Zahari is a Black female standing 5 feet 3 inches tall with a small build. She has black hair, which she may be wearing in a ponytail, and brown eyes.
When she was last seen, she was dressed in an all-tan sweatsuit. Investigators are urging anyone who may have spotted a young girl matching this description in the Oxford area or surrounding communities to come forward immediately.
Oxford is a borough in southern Chester County, a region that borders both Delaware and Maryland. Its proximity to state lines is something investigators and families of missing persons often note as a complicating factor in search efforts, as it can expand the geographic scope of a case quickly.
While police have not publicly commented on whether they believe Zahari may have traveled beyond Pennsylvania, her case has been shared widely across regional and national missing persons networks.
The case was picked up by Missing Persons in America, a national organization that maintains what it describes as the largest interactive missing persons database in the country.
The group posted details about Zahari on social media and added her profile to their online database, where her case can be searched and shared by members of the public.
Organizations like this one play an increasingly important role in amplifying missing persons cases, particularly those involving minors, who can slip through the cracks of local news coverage.
Zahari’s disappearance comes at a time when awareness around missing children, particularly Black girls and teenagers, has grown significantly across the country.
Advocates have long pointed out that cases involving Black youth often receive less media attention than those involving white children, a disparity that can slow the pace of a search and reduce the chances of a safe recovery. Community members and advocacy groups have been sharing Zahari’s information broadly in hopes of keeping her story visible.
West Whiteland Township Police are the primary point of contact for anyone with information about Zahari’s whereabouts. The department can be reached at 610-457-4542.
Authorities are encouraging anyone who saw her on or after May 20 in the Oxford area, or who may have information about where she went or who she was with, to reach out as soon as possible. Even details that may seem minor or unrelated could prove valuable to investigators working the case.
Zahari’s family has not made public statements through the official reports currently available, but the urgency in the language from police and advocacy groups makes clear that time is a critical factor.
Fifteen years old, five feet three inches, black hair, brown eyes, a tan sweatsuit. Someone, somewhere, knows something.
