PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A West Philadelphia teen with a cognitive disorder has been missing since Monday, Jan. 12. His family believes he may have been lured away by a man he met through a gaming app.
Jahmez Cartwright’s family found out something was wrong when the 18-year-old’s school called and said he never showed up. He was last seen at 65th Street and Linmore Avenue in Southwest Philadelphia around 7 a.m. on Monday.
Cartwright’s family told NBC10 that he had been communicating with a stranger he met through the gaming app Roblox. Philadelphia police said his phone pinged in San Diego, California, on Tuesday, Jan. 13. Concerned family members said he does not even have an ID.
“He has never been outside of Philadelphia. He doesn’t even know anybody outside of Philadelphia. He doesn’t even have an income,” Aisha Green, Cartwright’s cousin, told NBC10. “If there is somebody who has our cousin and is holding him without will, we won’t stop. We miss him. He belongs to us, not you.”
Cartwright’s mother has been so distressed that she was taken to the hospital for chest pains.
In a statement, Roblox said, "We are deeply troubled by this reported incident and are committed to working with law enforcement. Roblox has zero tolerance for criminal behavior. Our platform is built with safety at its core, including robust policies to help protect users that go beyond many other platforms. We limit chat for younger users, don’t allow user-to-user image sharing, and have filters designed to block the sharing of personal information. While no system is perfect, our commitment to safety never ends, and we continue to evolve and strengthen our protections every day."
The family is pleading for the public’s help, asking people to share any information they have with police.
Cartwright is 5 feet, 7 inches tall and about 120 pounds. He has black curly hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a black coat and dark blue jeans.
The Black and Missing Foundation is also assisting the family. The organization urges parents and guardians to be involved and make sure they are aware of who their children are communicating with online and on social media.
Anyone with information regarding Cartwright’s whereabouts is asked to contact detectives at 215-686-3183.