When the news first broke about the Columbus police search for Zariyah Smith, the local community in Ohio felt that all-too-familiar pit in their stomach. It’s a terrifying scenario. A 4-year-old girl is suddenly the subject of a "critically missing" alert, and for a few tense hours, nobody knows where she is. Honestly, in a city as big as Columbus, those first few moments of a missing child report are pure chaos.
This case moved fast.
Basically, Zariyah was reported missing in late February 2025. The details that came out initially were enough to make any parent's heart drop. She was last seen in the area of the 300 block of Urban Avenue. Police were out in force, and the description provided was incredibly specific—she was carrying a pink Barbie bookbag and wearing a pink Minnie Mouse shirt. It’s those kinds of details that stick with you.
What Really Happened with the Columbus Police Search for Zariyah Smith?
The timeline here is a bit strange, and it's something that local investigators had to piece together carefully. Zariyah was reportedly last seen around midnight on February 20, 2025. However, the official report to the Columbus Division of Police didn’t actually happen until February 25. That’s a five-day gap. In the world of missing persons, five days is an eternity.
When the alert finally hit the wires, the urgency was through the roof. The Special Victims Unit (SVU) took the lead, with Corporal Bethani Thompson heading up the investigation.
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The Resolution Everyone Was Praying For
Thankfully, this story has the ending we all hope for but don't always get. Shortly after the public search began, the Columbus Police Department announced that Zariyah Smith had been located in good health.
It’s a massive relief.
Usually, when a child is missing for several days before a report is filed, the outcome is... well, it's often much grimmer. But in this case, the system worked once it was finally activated. The police didn't release every single detail about where she was found or who she was with—partly to protect the privacy of a toddler and partly because these situations often involve sensitive family dynamics.
Why These Searches Matter So Much
You might wonder why a case like the Columbus police search for Zariyah Smith gets so much immediate traction. It’s because the Columbus SVU treats "critically missing" children with a specific protocol.
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When a child is under the age of 13 or there’s a belief they are in immediate danger, the resources deployed are immense. We aren’t just talking about a couple of patrol cars driving around. It involves:
- Digital forensic teams checking recent communications.
- Neighborhood canvases where officers knock on every single door in a radius.
- Massive social media pushes to get the child's face in front of thousands of residents within minutes.
In Zariyah's case, that pink Barbie backpack was the key identifier. It’s a reminder that if you ever see a child who looks out of place, those small, "unimportant" clothing details are exactly what helps the police close a case.
Addressing the Confusion: Different Cases, Same Name
If you’ve been Googling this, you’ve probably seen some confusing results. It’s important to stay factually grounded here because there are other cases in the Ohio area involving similar names that are much more tragic.
For instance, there was a case involving a mother and boyfriend charged in a 4-year-old's death in Columbus around the same time. That is not Zariyah Smith. There was also a 15-year-old named Sharyah Smith who went missing from Columbus in December 2025. While the names are close, these are entirely separate incidents.
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It’s easy to get lost in the "true crime" algorithm, but Zariyah Smith was found safe. That is the definitive fact of her specific search.
How to Help in Future Columbus Missing Persons Cases
Honestly, the best thing you can do when you see a search like the one for Zariyah Smith is to share the official police post. Don’t share screenshots that might be outdated. Share the link directly from the Columbus Division of Police Facebook or Twitter page.
Why?
Because when a child is found, the police delete the post. If you’ve shared a screenshot, that image of a "missing" child stays on the internet forever, even after they are safe at home. It causes unnecessary panic later on.
If you ever have information on a missing person in Columbus, the go-to is always 9-1-1 or the Special Victims Unit at 706-225-3449.
Moving forward, the best way to support the community is to keep your eyes open and stay informed through verified local news outlets like WBNS 10TV or NBC4. These organizations work directly with CPD to ensure the information is accurate. For now, we can all just be glad that Zariyah’s story ended with her being found safe and sound.