Missing Since: 2016-11-04 Location: Woodland, California
Elijah was last seen in Woodland, California on November 4, 2016, the day after his seventeenth birthday. He attended school that day, then cashed a check at California Check Cashing in the 100 block of Main Street. He has never been heard from again. His mother reported him missing on November 6. A text message sent from Elijah’s cellular phone to a friend that same day said Elijah was en route to the San Francisco Bay area. Elijah and his close friend Enrique Rios both attended Cesar Chavez Community School in Woodland. They attended classes in the morning and worked for the Northern California Construction Training program at the Yolo County Fairgrounds in the afternoon, earning money while learning carpentry skills. Enrique went missing from his Esparto, California home three weeks before Elijah also disappeared. The two boys had other things in common: both of them were on probation for being involved in the same fight. For the first few weeks, for lack of any evidence to the contrary, Enrique’s case was treated as a runaway by authorities. It wasn’t until after Elijah also disappeared that police began to look into other theories to explain what happened. Elijah’s family stated he was happy with his life and close to his mother and older brother, and that he was looking forward to attending college and possibly getting a degree in construction management. Although Enrique had run away from home before for a couple of days at a time, Elijah had no history as a runaway. Investigators and the Moore and Rios families believe the two boys’ disappearances are related. Although many agencies continue to classify them as runaways, Enrique and Elijah are considered missing under suspicious circumstances. Their cases remain unsolved. Investigating Agency Woodland Police Department 530-666-2411 Source Information The National Center For Missing and Exploited Children Federal Bureau of Investigation California Attorney General’s Office NamUs Find Enrique Rios and Elijah Moore The Sacramento Bee Facebook Page for Enrique Rios and Elijah Moore Updated 1 time since October 12, 2004. Last updated November 14, 2017; casefile added.