CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – The search for a missing Clay County 16-year-old intensified on Friday with a Public Safety Alert being pushed out to phones around 11 a.m.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office says Naomi Cernik was last seen in the Grand Teton Drive area of Middleburg on Wednesday.
An FDLE Missing Child Alert for Cernik was issued just after 9 p.m. Wednesday.
She is about 5 feet 3 inches and has slightly curly blonde hair.
She was last seen wearing a black hoodie with a multi-colored print in the front and back, a white shirt, jeans and pink or white shoes, near the Eagle Glen subdivision, according to the sheriff’s office.
She may be carrying a black satchel backpack and may be drawn to train tracks and wooded areas.
Neighbors in the area say concern is growing as the days pass. Bill Gay, who lives nearby, told News4JAX he’s been praying investigators find her soon.
“Going on three days almost… and they say it’s past 24 hours—it gets less and less likely they’ll return,” Gay said. “And I just pray they find her.”
Gay also urged people to be cautious if they think they spot Cernik.
“I think that when you approach her, you can’t just run up on her, because she’s actually trying to hide, she’s trying to hide from people,” he said.
Sheriff Michelle Cook posted on Facebook Thursday, asking the community to be on the lookout for Cernik, who “functions at a much younger age level” than her 16 years.
“She has no phone and no means of taking care of herself,” Cook wrote.
Gay said that’s what worries him most.
“She doesn’t recognize the good people versus the bad people,” he said. “That’s what’s got me personally concerned.”
If you have seen her, please call 904-264-6512 or submit a tip via Saferwatch.