PA PA - Jahmez Cartwright 18, Endangered, Cognitive disorder, phone ping San Diego CA, last seen walking to school in Philadelphia, 12 Jan 2026

[Unalienable Rights]

https://www.facebook.com/TheVividFacesoftheVanished/posts/pfbid02jkLDoLnCx8qrNjzUMSomzoA1s7wh2qLFo3m7a72My7KAaSwGodAzMCYhZLJ7p99Kl

CRITICALLY MISSING — TEEN LEAVES FOR SCHOOL AND VANISHES, PHONE PINGS ACROSS THE COUNTRY

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF JAHMEZ CARTWRIGHT
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | January 12, 2026

This case is being treated as urgent.

Eighteen-year-old Jahmez Cartwright left his Philadelphia home for school on Monday, January 12. He never arrived. He never came home. And within 24 hours, his phone mysteriously pinged more than 2,700 miles away — in Sorrento Mesa, San Diego, California.

Jahmez’s sudden disappearance has set off serious alarms for his family and investigators. Evidence suggests he may have been communicating online with an older man through the gaming platform Roblox and may have been lured away. What began as a normal school morning now looks like a potentially dangerous online exploitation case.

Jahmez is described as 5’7”, approximately 120 pounds.
He was last seen wearing black jeans, a black coat, and black-and-white Rick Owens boots.

He has not been seen or heard from since January 12.

A teenager does not simply vanish from Philadelphia and reappear digitally in California without help. Someone knows how Jahmez got there. Someone knows who he was talking to. Someone knows what really happened after he walked out the door that morning.

His family is terrified. Time matters. Every share matters.

If you have seen Jahmez Cartwright, know his whereabouts, or have any information — no matter how small — please contact the Philadelphia Police Department immediately at 215-686-3120.

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

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Jahmez Cartwright, whose (cognitive) 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.

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Detectives confirmed to NBC10 that Cartwright's cell phone pinged to San Diego, California, the day after he went missing, even though his family said he doesn't have an ID.

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"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."

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NBC10 also spoke to Cartwright's mother via FaceTime. She is in the hospital with chest pains due to the stress of the situation.

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

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More in article.. Also, see video.

 

[ivylambs]

To get to San Diego in 24 hours, he had to have flown. That’s a 40 hour straight drive.

 

[GraceG]

His family says he has no ID. He can't fly, at age 18 without a State-issued REAL ID-compliant driver's licenses or identification card. Acceptable Identification at the TSA Checkpoint | Transportation Security Administration.

He does look younger than 18 but TSA still reuires minors over 13 to have ID unless traveling with an adult. According to their official guidelines, children under the age of 18 are not required to present an ID at the security checkpoint. The TSA will accept the valid identification of the adult traveling with the minor. Could the person that may have been grooming him been local, and then the two went to California? (as opposed to being groomed by someone IN California). www.tsa.gov

If he had taken a bus, he couldn't have made it in 24 hours.

 

[Unalienable Rights]

It is possible that the phone traveled to San Diego, but he did not.

 

[GraceG]

It is possible that the phone traveled to San Diego, but he did not.

Depending on how tech savvy he is, there are gps spoofing apps available where you can change the GPS location of your phone without the phone physically going anywhere. This is just one, there appears to be several out there. Fake GPS location - Apps on Google Play

 

[ivylambs]

I live in Philly and I know people whose phones have been stolen on the street or public transit and sold, but those tend to wind up overseas and not that fast.

The airport is reasonably close to his last known location, an hour and a half walk, or a direct half hour bus ride. If he’s a regular SEPTA rider he probably has his fare card connected to an account, which would where and when he last got on a train or bus. If he is really in San Diego then there is just no other explanation besides him flying. Does he have a passport? I’ve heard many people say that airports aren’t really enforcing Real ID, just giving extra scrutiny to those without.

 

[GraceG]

I live in Philly and I know people whose phones have been stolen on the street or public transit and sold, but those tend to wind up overseas and not that fast.

The airport is reasonably close to his last known location, an hour and a half walk, or a direct half hour bus ride. If he’s a regular SEPTA rider he probably has his fare card connected to an account, which would where and when he last got on a train or bus. If he is really in San Diego then there is just no other explanation besides him flying. Does he have a passport? I’ve heard many people say that airports aren’t really enforcing Real ID, just giving extra scrutiny to those without.

They might not make a huge fuss if the driver's license isn't currently the Real ID kind) though here in Chicago they are enforcing that), but according to his parents he has NO ID. I think TSA would definately question that unless he was traveling with an adult with an ID that stated the teen was less than 18 (at 18 he would have to have an ID of his own of some sort). TSA isin't perfect though - I wish I had a $ for every TSA agent that looked at my red "fed" passport and said "why is it that color?", having NO clue what it was and just sent me through without verifying with their manager that it was valid.

 

[truthfinder2019]

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

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

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.

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

 

[truthfinder2019]

More photos of Jahmez:

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02sxvdo25nCTp1vaoK8q6HA5UZ16MLMKA4zVRpUrowsfiBJ45KC5xj2LxKPnu1xbwJl&id=100077603764035

 

[truthfinder2019]

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

He was last seen around 7 a.m. on January 12 on the 6500 block of Linmore Ave. in southwest Philadelphia.

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

Philadelphia teen missing, possibly lured to San Diego online

Police are searching for 18-year-old Jahmez Cartwright from Philadelphia who may have been lured to San Diego by an older individual he met online on the gaming platform Roblox.

www.yahoo.com

I find it strange that the person that lured him away would have allowed his phone to have a signal and allow the ping.
We do not know at what time the phone pinged in CA, but seems too fast indeed to have travelled by car.
Was he provided a fake id to travel by plane ? Seems too sophisticated
Did his phone travel without him? Is he still in PA?

 

[GraceG]

This article states that the information regarding the phone pinging in San Diego came from Jahmez's friends,

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

LE initially stated that same information but this same article implies that they haven't got the phone and online activity records (at least how I am reading it) as they were seeking warrant(s) to do so.

"Detectives are seeking warrants to obtain more information from his phone and online activity."

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

I think once LE gets the actual records we might have a better picture and timeline for his disappearance.

 

[Unalienable Rights]

Missing Philadelphia teen Jahmez Cartwright located, family says

A police source told CBS News Philadelphia Friday that Jahmez Cartwright, 18, has contacted his family and said he is safe.

www.cbsnews.com

Jahmez Cartwright, 18, has been located, according to his family.

A Philadelphia police source told CBS News Philadelphia on Friday that the teen has contacted his family and said that he is safe.

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CBS News Philadelphia is working to learn where Cartwright was found and the circumstances surrounding his disappearance.

 

[Gators North]

Missing Philadelphia teen Jahmez Cartwright located, family says

A police source told CBS News Philadelphia Friday that Jahmez Cartwright, 18, has contacted his family and said he is safe.

www.cbsnews.com

Jahmez Cartwright, 18, has been located, according to his family.

A Philadelphia police source told CBS News Philadelphia on Friday that the teen has contacted his family and said that he is safe.

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CBS News Philadelphia is working to learn where Cartwright was found and the circumstances surrounding his disappearance.

Thank goodness he’s safe!

 

[Unalienable Rights]

Missing Philadelphia teen located after reported luring to San Diego through Roblox

Jahmez Cartwright, 18, from Southwest Philadelphia who was reported missing earlier this week has been found, according to his family and the Black and Missing Foundation.

www.fox29.com

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In a statement, his mother said, "I would like to thank the Philadelphia media, law enforcement agencies, The Black and Missing Foundation, and members of the community, as they rallied around me and my family as we searched for Jahmez. Because of your collective efforts, Jahmez has been located."

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Cartwright’s mother said, "As our family continues to work with law enforcement surrounding the details of his disappearance, we will share any information as we learn more details."

The Black and Missing Foundation thanked everyone who shared Cartwright’s profile and supported the search.

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