A teenage boy found alone in East Baltimore on Monday morning still hasn't been identified, and police are now releasing his photograph in hopes that someone recognizes him. Good Samaritans flagged down officers in the 1200 block of Orleans Street at approximately 9:15 a.m. after coming across the boy, and more than a day later, investigators still don't know for certain who he is or where he belongs.
According to Daily Voice, investigators believe the boy's name may be Elijah Banks and that he is 14 years old, though they have been unable to confirm his identity. Authorities also believe he may be from Prince George's County, but that connection, like his name, remains unconfirmed. Police said the boy may be neurodivergent, a detail that could shape how searchers and the public approach reaching out to him or his family.
The boy is described as approximately 5-foot-7 and weighing 175 pounds. Baltimore Police released two photographs of him Tuesday, hoping someone will recognize him and help reunite him with his family or legal guardian, the outlet's report notes. Anyone who recognizes the boy or has information about his family or whereabouts before he was found is asked to call 911.
A Department Already Building Tools for Cases Like This
The case arrives months after Baltimore police rolled out new resources aimed at helping officers communicate with and identify neurodivergent residents during exactly this kind of encounter. In April, the department launched a voluntary Neurodivergent Individuals Database, with its Community Partnerships Unit framing the program as a way to improve safety during police interactions, according to the Baltimore Police Department.
The database lets individuals or their caregivers securely share information with police ahead of time, and participants who enroll receive a tactile keychain stamped with a unique identification number. The department also ordered 1,500 Blue Envelope toolkits for distribution, part of a broader push to equip officers for calmer, more informed encounters. The Autism Society of Baltimore-Chesapeake separately supplied the department with 2,000 communication facilitator cards in 2024 and has committed to providing 1,000 more updated cards.
No Waiting Period to Report a Missing Child
If the boy does turn out to be from Prince George's County, as authorities suspect, any family searching for him wouldn't have had to wait to file a report. The Prince George's County Police Department's missing-persons resource states plainly that there is no waiting period to report a person missing, and it urges anyone whose loved one has disappeared under concerning circumstances to contact law enforcement right away.
For now, the boy's identity remains unresolved, and Baltimore police have not said whether he has been connected with any family members since he was found. The department's appeal for public help, and the phone line to 911, remain the only path investigators have described toward closing that gap.
