Malden Police are asking the public for help finding 17-year-old Daina Jean Baptiste, who has been missing from the Massachusetts city since January and remains unaccounted for nearly eight months later. Investigators describe her as Black, 5 feet 3 inches tall, weighing 135 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. The department lists Baptiste under National Crime Information Center identification number M968701724.
Baptiste was first reported missing on January 15, 2026, when she was 16 years old, according to Patch. The Malden Police Department renewed its public appeal this week in a Facebook post, shared by Malden Police, that reads simply, “MISSING JUVENILE – HAVE YOU SEEN HER?” Anyone with information is asked to contact local law enforcement or the Malden Police Department directly at 781-322-1212, or reach Detective Renee Kelley, the point of contact on the case, at 781-397-7171 extension 1203 or by email at [email protected]. Police are also asking the public to share the missing-person notice widely.
A Case With National Reach
Baptiste's case is also registered with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, which lets the public submit tips through its 24-hour hotline at 1-800-843-5678, per MissingKids.org. Public missing-person notices from advocacy groups have indicated that law enforcement officials believe Baptiste may still be in the Malden area or traveling through surrounding Eastern Massachusetts communities, according to a notice shared on Facebook. Earlier flyers distributed by advocacy organizations also described her hair as short and afro-styled, a detail that differs somewhat from the department's current description of her hair as simply black.
Under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 22A, Section 4, and the federal Suzanne's Law, local police departments must immediately enter missing child reports into both state and national criminal information databases, per documentation reviewed by PowerDMS. That legal requirement explains why Baptiste's case carries both a Malden Police incident number and a national identification number, even as the search continues locally.
Why Standard Appeals, Not an Amber Alert
Massachusetts law enforcement practice draws a clear line between missing juvenile public appeals like this one and emergency Amber Alerts, which require confirmed evidence of an abduction and imminent danger of serious bodily harm or death before triggering a statewide broadcast alert, per the same PowerDMS policy documentation. Cases like Baptiste's may receive standard police notices, database entries, and social media sharing, while Massachusetts also has Missing Endangered Persons alerts that can provide targeted or statewide broadcasts.
Nationally, the numbers offer some context for how these cases typically resolve. NCMEC assisted with 32,167 missing child cases across the country in 2025, according to the organization's own reporting. Locally, a report by The Scope highlighting Children's Advocacy Center data found that young girls of color made up roughly two-thirds of missing-youth referrals handled by Suffolk County's Support to End Exploitation Now Coalition, underscoring why community vigilance matters in cases like this one.
A Dense City, A Small Force
Malden is a city in Massachusetts, according to Census Reporter. The Malden Police Department handles the city's public safety needs and investigations. Baptiste's case has drawn public attention.
Anyone with information about Baptiste's whereabouts is urged to contact the Malden Police Department or reach out to Detective Kelley directly. Investigators have not released additional details about the circumstances surrounding her disappearance, and as of this week, she remains missing.
