Jalayshia Alford, 10-year-old Philadelphia girl, disappears from foster home; search underway

Authorities are worried that Jalayshia Alford may be in danger, and the FBI has now joined in the search with Philadelphia police.

Published on: Nov 5, 2026, 13:11:25 IST

By Sumanti Sen

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A search is underway for a 10-year-old Philadelphia girl who disappeared from her foster home over a week ago. The Philadelphia Police Department said that the girl, Jalayshia “Malayshia” Alford, lives on the 500 block of North Simpson Street, and was last seen on Monday, October 26, at about 7:30 am local time.

Jalayshia Alford was last seen on Monday, October 26, at about 7:30 am local time (Philadelphia Police Department )

According to Philadelphia Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore, footage recovered by investigators showed Jalayshia walking to and from school days before the day she went missing. However, they have not located video of the child ever since, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

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“I’m very concerned. It’s been too long, and she’s very young,” said Vanore.

Authorities are searching for additional video that could establish a timeline of Jalayshia’s whereabouts.

What we know about Jalayshia Alford

Jalayshia’s aunt, Yolanda Brown, told The Philadelphia Inquirer that the girl was living with a foster family before her disappearance.

“For her to be missing this many days, it’s just crazy,” Nyfisha Allford, another aunt, told ABC affiliate WPVI.

Nyfisha added that she had tried to gain custody of Jalayshia.

“I’m just really torn up because she was in DHS custody, and there was a time I tried to get her. They came to my home, they looked it over, and then I was ignored,” she said.

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Authorities are worried that the missing child may be in danger. The FBI has now joined in the search with police, Vanore said.

The Philadelphia Police Department said that Jalayshia is 4 feet, 11 inches tall and weighs approximately 70 pounds. The girl was last seen wearing a blue uniform polo or button-up shirt, blue skirt, blue pullover, blue stockings and either Crocs or black sneakers. Jalayshia wears glasses.

Anyone with information about Jalayshia’s whereabouts is urged to contact the Southwest Detective Division at 215-686-3183 or 215-686-3184.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sumanti Sen
Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More

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