Found: A Missing Teen from Upstate New York; Man Arrested

Teen Girl Goes Missing in Upstate NY

A teenage girl from Upstate New York left school voluntarily on Thursday and was reported missing to police.

After an intensive investigation, police were able to locate 16-year-old EmmaLynne Lasher in Pennsylvania over the weekend, reuniting her with her family in Amsterdam while arresting the man that police say she left New York with.

EmmaLynne Lasher voluntarily left school on Thursday afternoon with a 19-year-old man and was reported missing. Thankfully, she was returned home safely, but police arrested the man she was found with. Photo: Facebook

It's every parent's worst nightmare to realize that your child has gone missing, whether it is for a few minutes, hours, or days; every precious second matters when trying to bring them home.

Found in Pennsylvania

According to the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, on March 27th, they received a report of a missing 16-year-old female from Amsterdam High School.

The juvenile "voluntarily" left the school with an adult male acquaintance.

Family members and friends plastered her face and name all over social media, and the Montgomery County Sheriff's say that tips and leads led them to search parts of New York, New Jersey, and Delaware before finding her in Pennsylvania.

Numerous Leads and Tips Leads to Arrest

According to the police report, on Sunday, March 30th, at approximately 3:00 PM, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office was able to locate both parties in New Milford, Pennsylvania, about 2 hours and 20 mins southwest of Amsterdam.

Lasher was reunited with her family in Amsterdam, while Antonio Valls, the 19-year-old male whom police allege she was with, was arrested.

The mugshot of 19-year-old Antonio Valls Photo: Montgomery County Sheriff's Office

The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said that Valls was taken into custody and charged with one count of endangering the Welfare of a Child.

Valls was arraigned in the Town of Amsterdam Court and released pending a later court date. The investigation into this incident is ongoing, and more charges may be brought.

Have You Seen Them? 11 Kids Went Missing In New York State In February

The following list contains names and faces of 11 children reported missing in February 2025 across New York State. Do you have any information about them or have you seen them recently?

If so, please reach out to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children; a private, non-profit 501 corporation whose mission is finding children, reducing child sexual exploitation, and preventing child victimization.

NCMEC works with families, victims, private industry, law enforcement, and the public to assist with preventing child abductions, recovering missing children, and providing services to deter and combat child sexual exploitation.

If you'd like to report information about a missing child to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's 24-hour hotline at 800–THE–LOST (800–843–5678).

Gallery Credit: Brian Cody TSM Albany