Missing Teen with Intellectual Disability May Have Been 'Lured' Away from Home Through Roblox
- - Missing Teen with Intellectual Disability May Have Been 'Lured' Away from Home Through Roblox
Abigail AdamsJanuary 16, 2026 at 11:24 PM
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Black And Missing Foundation
Jahmez Cartwright. -
A search is underway for 18-year-old Jahmez Cartwright, who has been missing since Monday, Jan. 12, according to police
Cartwright's phone pinged in San Diego, the day after he disappeared, police said
The teen may have been in contact with an older man through Roblox "and may have been lured online," a nonprofit aiding with the search said
A search is underway for a missing teen who may have been lured away from home through a popular online game.
Jahmez Cartwright, 18, has been missing since Monday, Jan. 12, and was last seen at 7 a.m. on the 6500 block of Linmore Avenue, the Philadelphia Police Department tells PEOPLE.
The teen had left for school that morning but never arrived there or returned home, according to a bulletin shared by the Black and Missing Foundation (BAMFI), a nonprofit organization that brings awareness and offers tools to help find missing people of color.
Cartwright’s phone pinged in San Diego on Tuesday, Jan. 13, according to BAMFI and police.
"How did he get there? He don't have ID. Did someone take him?" the teen’s mom, LaShante Crocker, said, according to ABC affiliate WPVI.
BAMFI also said “evidence suggests that Jahmez may have had contact with an older man through Roblox and may have been lured online.”
Family said Cartwright had an intellectual disability, which makes him susceptible to manipulation, according to WPVI.
Aisha Green, Cartwright's cousin, said the teen “has never been outside” Philadelphia and “has no income,” NBC affiliate WCAU reported.
"If there is someone who has our cousin holding him without will, we won't stop," Green said. "You know, we miss him. He belongs to us, not you."
In a statement obtained by PEOPLE, Roblox said it is “troubled by this report and promptly contacted law enforcement to offer assistance."
“Our platform is built with safety at its core, including robust policies to help protect users that go beyond many other platforms,” Roblox stated. “We have filters designed to block the sharing of personal information and don't allow user-to-user image or video sharing.”
They added, “While no system is perfect, our commitment to safety never ends, and we continue to evolve and strengthen our protections every day. Given this involves an ongoing investigation, we cannot comment further at this time."
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Cartwright is described by BAMFI and the Philadelphia Police Department as 5-foot-7 and about 120 lbs., with black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing black jeans, white Rick Owens shoes and a black coat.
Anyone with information about Cartwright is asked to contact Southwest Detectives at 215-686-3183 or BAMFI at 877-972-2634.
on People
Source: “AOL Breaking”
