Jafet Jemmott

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

New York City Police Department (NY)

Missing From:

Arverne, Queens, New York

Summary:

Jafet Elias Jemmott, 15, a Midwood High School student from Arverne, Queens, disappeared on November 28, 2025, after leaving his home early in the morning. His family believes he may have been lured away by someone he met online. As of May 2026, he remains missing, with his father asserting the belief that someone is holding his son.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Disappearance:

On the morning of November 28, 2025, the day after Thanksgiving, Jafet left his residence at 72-29 Burchell Avenue in Arverne, Queens, at approximately 6:00 a.m. He had argued with his father Federico the previous night about wanting money to go shopping at a thrift store in Brooklyn and visiting Kings Plaza Mall in Brooklyn with friends. Jafet left without warning and did not tell anyone he was leaving. Security footage captured him leaving the home. His family tracked his phone using the Life360 app, which showed his location at a bus stop at Beach 73rd Street and Rockaway Beach Boulevard with the phone battery at approximately 5-7%. YMCA workers in the area reported seeing someone matching his description near the Q52 bus stop. The tracking app continued to show Jafet's location as he apparently rode the Q52 bus, crossing the Cross Bay Bridge over Jamaica Bay. The last location ping occurred as his phone battery died while crossing the bridge. Police later obtained a silhouette image of someone standing on the Cross Bay Bridge captured by a camera on a passing MTA bus, believed to be Jafet's last possible image. Two hours before Jafet left home, he received messages on WhatsApp, though his family could not determine the content or sender.

Additional Details:

Jafet was described by teachers at Midwood High School as a top student and good student who loved soccer and technology. His family said he does not fit the profile of someone who would run away from home. In the weeks before his disappearance, his family noticed a change in his behavior. Friends told the family that Jafet may have been communicating with someone online. On December 7, 2025, local activists Theresa Racine and Ozzie Edwards formed a search team after learning of his disappearance. On December 21, 2025, the case gained national attention and was featured on the television program On Patrol: Live. As of May 8, 2026, Jafet had been missing for more than five months and remained officially listed as a missing person by the New York City Police Department. The case was initially investigated by the 100th Precinct Detective Squad but has since been transferred to the NYPD's Missing Persons Unit. Possible human remains were found in March and May 2026 in Jamaica Bay in areas where Jafet was last known to be, but these remains were determined not to belong to him. In May 2026, Jafet's father and the Human Rights Association called for a renewed and intensified national search effort. The investigation is described as unusual due to how thoroughly Jafet vanished, leaving behind few indications of where he could have gone. NYPD investigators have not yet confirmed whether Jafet was talking to anyone online before his disappearance and so far do not suspect criminality in his disappearance.

Case Last Updated:

Oct 10, 2026