NYPD Searches for Two Missing Sisters From Coney Island

The NYPD is searching for Jerzayah Singleton, 12 and Jeliyeh Singleton, 11, who disappeared from their Coney Island home around 12:30 a.m. Saturday. Police are seeking public assistance to locate the sisters, who were last seen wearing green jackets, as the search continues across the Brooklyn community.

The disappearance of two children from the safety of their own home in the dead of night is a scenario that triggers immediate, high-intensity alarm for both families and law enforcement. When a breach of domestic security occurs at such an hour, the priority shifts instantly from routine patrol to an urgent recovery operation.

Time is the most aggressive enemy in these cases.

The Search for Jerzayah and Jeliyeh

The specifics of the sisters’ appearances are critical for anyone scanning the streets of Brooklyn or the surrounding transit hubs. Jerzayah, 12, stands approximately 5 feet, 1 inch tall and weighs 100 pounds. She was last seen wearing a green jacket and white sneakers, carrying a pink and blue backpack—a distinct visual marker that investigators are hoping will trigger a witness’s memory.

Her younger sister, Jeliyeh, 11, is approximately 4 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs 90 pounds. She was as well wearing a green jacket, paired with a white tank top and black and white sneakers.

The fact that both girls were wearing green jackets suggests a level of uniformity that could make them easier to spot as a pair, but the disparity in their heights and footwear is where the finer details of identification lie. In the chaos of a city like New York, these small descriptors—the color of a backpack or the specific shade of a jacket—develop into the primary tools for the New York City Police Department in narrowing down sightings.

The Geographic Challenge of Coney Island

Coney Island is a unique jurisdictional environment. It is a blend of dense residential pockets and sprawling public tourist spaces. Searching this area requires a dual strategy: a granular door-to-door sweep of neighborhood blocks and a wider surveillance operation covering the boardwalk and the NYC Department of Transportation managed transit corridors.

When children vanish from a home at 12:30 a.m., the window of movement is narrow but the possibilities are vast. The proximity to major subway lines means that the search radius can expand from a few Brooklyn blocks to the entire five-borough area within an hour.

This creates a logistical nightmare for families. Beyond the immediate terror of the disappearance, there is the overwhelming task of coordinating information. Many families in this position find that securing community outreach coordinators or professional search advocates is the only way to manage the influx of tips while maintaining a direct line to police investigators.

Leveraging the Crime Stoppers Network

The NYPD has explicitly directed all leads to the Crime Stoppers Hotline. This system is designed to lower the barrier for reporting by allowing anonymity, which is often the only way investigators get “street-level” intelligence that wouldn’t otherwise reach a precinct.

The available channels for reporting are:

• English: 1-800-577-TIPS (8477)
• Spanish: 1-888-57-PISTA (74782)

The inclusion of a dedicated Spanish-language line is a recognition of the linguistic diversity of the Coney Island and broader Brooklyn area. In high-stakes missing persons cases, a language barrier can be a fatal delay. By streamlining the reporting process, the NYPD aims to cast the widest possible net across the city’s demographic spectrum.

However, the reliance on public tips highlights a systemic vulnerability. While the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children provides overarching frameworks for these searches, the success of a local recovery often depends on the vigilance of neighbors and the speed of information dissemination on social media.

The Long-Term Impact of Urban Disappearances

Beyond the immediate search, an event like this leaves a permanent scar on the family unit and the neighborhood. The psychological trauma of a “midnight disappearance” often requires long-term intervention. Families frequently struggle with the aftermath, navigating the intersection of grief, anxiety, and the legal complexities of missing persons filings.

Navigating the bureaucratic aftermath of such a crisis can be a logistical minefield. Many families eventually require the guidance of family law practitioners to handle the legal protections and guardianship issues that arise during prolonged absences or the recovery process.

It is a sobering reminder of how quickly the perceived safety of a home can be compromised.

The search for Jerzayah and Jeliyeh is not merely a police matter; it is a community imperative. The eyes of the city are now the most valuable asset in bringing these two sisters home. Whether it is a glance at a security camera or a memory of two girls in green jackets walking toward a train station, every detail matters.

The tragedy of a missing child is that the world continues to move around the void they leave behind. But for the Singleton family, the world has stopped. As the hours tick past the initial disappearance, the necessitate for verified, professional support—from crisis counseling services to experienced investigators—becomes the only bridge back to stability. The World Today News Directory remains committed to connecting affected families with the verified professionals equipped to handle the crushing weight of these developing stories.