In the late summer of 2026, concern began to mount for 43-year-old Nicholas "Nick" Evans Leyton in Santa Cruz, California. The last confirmed contact with Nicholas was on August 16, 2026. He is a white male, standing between 5'9" and 6'2" and weighing between 120 and 140 pounds. He has brown, short, curly hair, green eyes, and a large, bushy beard. A very small scar is present on his face under his right eye from a mole removal. The circumstances surrounding his disappearance are particularly worrying to those who know him and the authorities involved in the search.
The narrative of his last known movements adds a layer of distress to the situation. In the early morning hours of August 17, 2026, at approximately 1:00 AM, Nicholas was discharged from a local hospital. It was expected that he would return to his residence, but he never arrived. This failure to come home was the first indication to his loved ones that something was amiss. The lack of contact and his failure to show up at his expected destination prompted his family to report him as a missing person to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office later that same day.
The official investigation into the disappearance of Nicholas Leyton was launched by the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office under case number 2605703. Details regarding any specific clothing he may have been wearing at the time of his disappearance have not been widely circulated, nor has there been any public information released about whether he was on foot or had access to a vehicle. The case was formally entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System on August 27, 2026, as case number MP162193, to broaden the reach of the search and to solicit tips from the public. This overview encapsulates the known facts of the case, highlighting a sudden and unexplained departure from his expected routine that has left his family and community searching for answers.
Last Seen: Aug 16, 2026