PA JAHMEZ CARTWRIGHT: Missing from Philadelphia, PA - 12 Jan 2026 - Age 18 *Found Safe*

Family members of a missing 18-year-old living with a cognitive disorder say they believe an older man lured him through a popular online gaming app and is holding him against his will.

Jahmez Cartwright, whose disorder causes him to have the mind of a minor, was last seen on his way to school on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, at the 6500 block of Linmore Avenue in Southwest Philadelphia.

"He has been communicating with a specific person that we feel may have lured him out of the city," said Aisha Green, Cartwright's cousin. "He has never been outside Philly. He has no income.

"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."

The family has also received help from the the Black and Missing Foundation, a non-profit that seeks to help protect people from predators.

Philly teen with cognitive disorder goes missing on Monday walk to school

An 18-year-old from Philly with a cognitive disorder was last seen on his walk to school on Monday, and his family suspects a man lured him on an app.

www.nbcphiladelphia.com

 

[GrandmaBear]

Lives in PA but phone pinged to CA day after he went missing? That's a long way, they would have had to have flown no? And if they did, I'd think there'd be video both of the departure airport and the arrival airport.

He may have a cognitive disorder but he is 18 and I think it may be a tough one for LE if he went and/or stayed willingly...? It might depend on whether his parents have a legal guardianship over him due to his disability?

Praying he is found safe.

 

[ima.grandma]

Missing Philly teen may have been lured to San Diego by man he met on Roblox

Police are searching for a missing Philadelphia teen who may have been lured to San Diego by a man he met while playing Roblox.

www.fox29.com

The first article said he is considered a minor due to his disorder.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Missing Philly teen may have been lured to San Diego by man he met on Roblox

Police are searching for a missing Philadelphia teen who may have been lured to San Diego by a man he met while playing Roblox.

www.fox29.com

The first article said he is considered a minor due to his disorder.

I must have missed that. Thank you. That should make it easier for LE then if they can find him. And to bring charges against the man as well. That's good.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Cognitively delayed / "mind of a minor"... What does that mean? 17? 12? 8?
How did he get to the airport, 4 miles away from where he was last seen. Did he walk? Uber?
He does not have an ID card. How would he have boarded a plane?

Did he / his phone REALLY end up in California? Or is his location being faked / spoofed / VPN?

 

[GrandmaBear]

Wonder the same thing about him being that far away that quickly. The "guy" may have had some false ID for him but still... Are the parents even right about him having no ID...?

I agree what age is he developmentally disabled to? 12? And it can mean emotionally or socially too, there really isn't enough detail to know what that means.

 

[Guess Who]

Cognitively delayed / "mind of a minor"... What does that mean? 17? 12? 8?
How did he get to the airport, 4 miles away from where he was last seen. Did he walk? Uber?
He does not have an ID card. How would he have boarded a plane?

Did he / his phone REALLY end up in California? Or is his location being faked / spoofed / VPN?

Or somebody drives like my dad did. There were very few stops and drove straight through.

I'm questioning him being in California though.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

 

[GrandmaBear]

2695 miles from Philly to San Diego. A search says that and that it is a 40 hour drive. Driving straight through would be unlikely without another driver for him to show up there a day after going missing. They are saying if any in San Diego sees him to call San Diego PD so they must think he is there or could be anyhow.

 

[GrandmaBear]

this is a strange one. why would a predator let him keep his phone or have it showing by ping... I'm wondering if it is possible he had a duplicate license or something. I mean you can say you lost one and get another... It is in the US so not like he'd have to have a passport PLUS he is 18, airport personnel would not know if he was developmentally disabled or someone had guardianship. It is quite possible he did this on his own.

It isn't like he lived in podunkville. Philly has an airport. There still could be another adult involved but he very well could have left on his own to head to see this person or something like that...

 

[GrandmaBear]

He will very likely be on video if he used the airport. On both ends of the trip.

 

[Guess Who]

Also could be a private plane. No need for id on those. Most have no passenger manifest, either. That is, IF he actually in Cali and got there that fast.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Or somebody drives like my dad did. There were very few stops and drove straight through.

I'm questioning him being in California though.

40 hour drive though...

My ex's family was like that. How they traveled and this was the routine and this is the one stop always here, etc. and traveled straight through. I hated it. That is not how I travel or want to. Lol. My SIL was riding with us once to go to the Cities and several family were traveling, at least one other vehicle if not two. I asked my ex to stop at a gas station, I needed it, and my SIL was like no, no, we don't stop here, we stop only there at this point. I'm thinking TOUGH, I'm stopping. It was hard when it was just my ex and I too to get him to not want to drive straight through to anywhere.

I think it's kind of unlikely here someone drove him straight through though. That's a lot of hours and there by the next day. MAYBE it was done but unlikely I think and not without another driver most likely... I guess Jahmez might drive though, hard to say...

 

[GrandmaBear]

Also could be a private plane. No need for id on those. Most have no passenger manifest, either. That is, IF he actually in Cali and got there that fast.

I just don't see that, they still have to file a flight and the chances of him meeting someone who has a private plane just seems far fetched. They'd find the person had taken a flight pretty quickly I think because they know he was talking to a particular person it sounds like...

Possible but don't think it likely.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

The cell phone "pings" are not official pings. Seems like most of the info that's come out so far is from second or third party people.

Family searches for missing Philadelphia teen after phone pings in San Diego

LaShante Crocker said she believed Jahmez Cartwright was taking the SEPTA trolley to Hardy Williams High School, but the school later told her he never arrived.

6abc.com

His mother, LaShante Crocker, said she believed he was taking the SEPTA trolley to Hardy Williams High School, but the school later told her he never arrived.

Friends who had access to his location through iCloud told the family that his phone pinged in California on Tuesday.


Crocker said she learned through the school community that her son had been communicating with a man on the video game platform Roblox.

The family says Cartwright has an intellectual disability and is vulnerable to manipulation.


Philadelphia police have not confirmed whether online communication played a role in Cartwright's disappearance. Detectives are seeking warrants to obtain more information from his phone and online activity.

 

[GrandmaBear]

I can also say depending on small plane size they'd have to very likely land in between for fuel. I used to talk to an old classmate that offered to fly us places, had a private plane but depending on where, he'd have to refuel along the way. Just depended how far. Nashville? No problem. Florida? No problem. California from here? Yeah I think he'd have to stop and refuel.

 

[GrandmaBear]

The cell phone "pings" are not official pings. Seems like most of the info that's come out so far is from second or third party people.

Family searches for missing Philadelphia teen after phone pings in San Diego

LaShante Crocker said she believed Jahmez Cartwright was taking the SEPTA trolley to Hardy Williams High School, but the school later told her he never arrived.

6abc.com

His mother, LaShante Crocker, said she believed he was taking the SEPTA trolley to Hardy Williams High School, but the school later told her he never arrived.

Friends who had access to his location through iCloud told the family that his phone pinged in California on Tuesday.


Crocker said she learned through the school community that her son had been communicating with a man on the video game platform Roblox.

The family says Cartwright has an intellectual disability and is vulnerable to manipulation.


Philadelphia police have not confirmed whether online communication played a role in Cartwright's disappearance. Detectives are seeking warrants to obtain more information from his phone and online activity.

So the "school community" knew he was communicating with a man on Roblox... Never said anything though? Until after.

I'd agree on not being positive he IS in CA. If he is, he got there quickly somehow.

 

[Guess Who]

I just don't see that, they still have to file a flight and the chances of him meeting someone who has a private plane just seems far fetched. They'd find the person had taken a flight pretty quickly I think because they know he was talking to a particular person it sounds like...

Possible but don't think it likely.

Nope. They do not have to file flight plans. Most just do. At least I know they don't at the smaller airports that aren't commercial flights.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Nope. They do not have to file flight plans. Most just do. At least I know they don't at the smaller airports that aren't commercial flights.

I know. Still thinking it unlikely though. We had a neighbor who flew and took off from his own field, not exactly a runway but a kind of one he made but that kind of plane would never make it to CA easily. He just flew around the area and a bit further. The classmate I talked of has a plane and he flies out of the local municipal airport. They'd know it though. And to fly one into another state too there has to be some approval and planning. Generally.

I just think it a bit farfetched. Possible though of course, most things are.

 

[Guess Who]

I know. Still thinking it unlikely though. We had a neighbor who flew and took off from his own field, not exactly a runway but a kind of one he made but that kind of plane would never make it to CA easily. He just flew around the area and a bit further. The classmate I talked of has a plane and he flies out of the local municipal airport. They'd know it though. And to fly one into another state too there has to be some approval and planning. Generally.

I just think it a bit farfetched. Possible though of course, most things are.

It's not private airfields only. Private planes, no matter where they are taking off at, do not need to file a flight plan from any airport. Our smaller, public airport mostly caters to private flights and they drive right up to their plane and load/unload their luggage and people before they park the vehicle or it has just dropped them off. No flight plan. No passenger manifest. No id's required. This is where a lot of trafficking happens because of the privacy of private planes.