Pauline Gerstenberg, 14, vanished from the city of Orange and was last seen on January 12, 2026. She is described as a Caucasian female, brown hair and eyes, 5 feet 5 inches, about 120 pounds. On the day she disappeared she reportedly wore a black flannel shirt, khaki pants, and black shoes.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department says Pauline ran away from a group home; no contact has been made since that day. The department is handling the investigation under case number 26-001202 and has entered her into national missing persons databases. The State of California’s Department of Justice also lists her as missing.

The reasons she left the group home have not been released. Anyone with information about Pauline’s location or the circumstances of her disappearance is urged to contact the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.