A DESPERATE hunt has begun for 10 children who went missing in just one week in Philadelphia.
The children were reported missing to the authorities from different districts across the city between April 22 and April 30.
The disappearances are not thought to be connected.
People of all ages regularly go missing in the city, and it is an increasing problem, according to the Philadelphia Police Department.
The missing children are between the ages of 12 and 16 years old.
A spokesperson for the department told the Daily Mail that the cases are "definitely not related."
read more on missing people
They continued: "We have kids missing a lot. These children, they're all from different districts.
"They go missing for a few days. The mom or dad or guardian will go to the detective and say the kids missing.
"This is just a normal thing, unfortunately."
On Saturday, April 22, Deslynn Martinez-Rodriguez from the 24th District was reported missing.
Most read in The US Sun
The 12-year-old girl was last seen at 7pm and is described as four-foot-nine, thin, and has black hair and brown eyes.
On Sunday, April 23, three juvenile girls were reported missing.
Leaneli "Lea" Santiago, 15, was last seen at 11.55pm in North Philadelphia.
She is described as four-foot-nine, 95 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.
Meanwhile, 15-year-old Anayalis Borrero and 12-year-old Amayalis Esteves from the 15th District were last seen at 1am on that Sunday.
Borrero is described as five-foot-five and 190 pounds, last seen with a burgundy backpack, a red sweater, and blue jeans.
Esteves is five-foot-two, 95 pounds with a piercing in her left nostril, and was last seen with a blue backpack with stars and wearing a black and white shirt with matching sweatpants.
On Monday, April 24, two juvenile girls went missing, both first thing in the morning.
Kayla Marie Burgess, 13, was last seen leaving for school that morning and is described as five-foot-two, 119 pounds, with a medium brown complexion, black hair, and brown eyes.
She was last seen wearing a pink and orange hoodie with jeans.
Ariyanna Smith from the 22nd district was last seen that morning at 8am.
She is described as five-foot-10, 155 pounds with a dark complexion, brown eyes and dark brown straight hair.
The next child to be reported missing was Maddison Brozoski, 15, who was last seen on April 25 in Scranton.
She is believed to be in the area of East Allegheny Avenue, according to police, and is described as having brown hair and brown eyes and being five-foot-seven.
16-year-old Malachi Portus was reported missing the following day and is described as six foot tall with brown eyes, a medium complexion, and short black hair with a mustache.
On April 29, Amirah Portlock-Harris, 12, was last seen at 12.30pm and according to police she regularly visits the Center City and Fashion District Area.
She is described as five-foot-six, 135 pounds, with braided black hair, a couple of red braids, and brown eyes.
The last child to go missing that week was 12-year-old Aaron Hammond who was last seen at 12.40pm.
When he went missing he had an afro, which is not shown in the picture given to police.
He is five-foot-three, 100 pounds with a thin build, dark complexion, brown hair, and brown eyes.
In the previous month, eight juveniles went missing from the city between March 2 and March 14.
This does not include the adults who were also reported missing.
Philadelphia held its first Missing Persons Day 2023 event on April 19 at Temple University, in collaboration with the Philadelphia Police Department and the Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office.
Read More on The US Sun
According to a Facebook post by St. Mark's Church: "The aim of the event is for those who are missing a loved one to share any potentially new information regarding their loved one's case and to ensure that the information listed in various databases is accurate and up to date.
"Those who are willing may also submit DNA and other biometric data that can be useful to the investigation of their loved one's disappearance."
