A 14-year-old girl has been missing from Philadelphia's Hunting Park section since Tuesday evening, and police are asking the public for help finding her. Yazmeri Perez was last seen at 7:40 p.m. on the 400 block of West Wingohocking Street, in the territory covered by the Philadelphia Police Department's 25th District.
The Philadelphia Police Department issued its official missing juvenile bulletin for Perez on Wednesday, according to the Philadelphia Police Department. Some early reporting, including from Newport Dispatch, differed on the timing, but the department's own release pins the last sighting to Tuesday, September 15, on West Wingohocking Street.
Perez is described as 5 feet 5 inches tall and about 130 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes, per Newport Dispatch's report. She was last seen wearing a black crop top and navy blue sweatpants, the outlet reported.
A Possible Lead a Mile South
Police believe Perez may be in the area of the 600 block of West Mayfield Street, according to the department's bulletin. Investigators are focusing on that possible-lead area as the search continues.
The case is being led by the department's East Detective Division, which is headquartered at 3901 Whitaker Avenue alongside the 25th Police District. That division is currently handling more than one open case involving a missing teenager — including the search for 17-year-old Jackson Ahzair out of the neighboring 26th District.
State Law Requires Immediate Action
Pennsylvania law leaves no room for delay in cases like this one. Under Title 18, Section 2908 of the state's Crimes Code, law enforcement agencies are barred from imposing any mandatory waiting period before investigating a missing child under 18.
State procedures also require departments to immediately enter missing juvenile records into the Commonwealth Law Enforcement Assistance Network and the FBI's National Crime Information Center, as Hoodline has reported previously. The records are entered immediately under those procedures.
Part of a Broader Pattern
Perez's disappearance adds to a string of missing juvenile cases the East Detective Division and other Philadelphia units have juggled this month, including a recent search for a 9-year-old, who was found safe. Nationally, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children assisted with 32,167 missing children cases in 2025, with runaway incidents accounting for 92 percent of that total.
Child advocates urge swift public reporting and police response even when foul play is not suspected at the outset. That is part of why officials continue to push public bulletins like the one issued for Perez, rather than waiting on developments before alerting the community.
Anyone with information on Perez's whereabouts is asked to contact the East Detective Division directly at 215-686-3243 or to call 911, according to Newport Dispatch's report. The department's tip line, 215-686-TIPS (8477), is also listed for tips.
