Northwest Indiana / Greater Chicago Area
Ja’Niyah McMichael Rogers
Date Reported: 8/12/2024
Last Known Location: 1900 Block of Malcolm X Drive (aka Virginia Street)
Missing City/State: Gary, Indiana
Missing Date: August 11, 2024
Age When Went Missing: 13
Age Now: 13
Gender: Female
Race: Black
Complexion: Medium
Height: 5’2
Weight: 110 lbs
Hair Color: Black
Hair Length: Shoulder
Eye Color: Brown
Police Department: Detective Gregory Fayson | Gary Police Department Juvenile Division
Police Department Phone: (219) 881-1229 or (219) 881-7300 or 911 (for local 219 area code)
Police Department Case #: None Released
NAMUS ID: Not Listed in NAMUS
NAMUS Link: None
NCIC #: M708013129
NCMEC: 2031789
OTHER: None
Last Seen Location
Ja’Niyah McMichael (Rogers), a 13-year-old from Gary, Indiana, was last seen at her home at 1951 Virginia Street, now the 1900 block of Malcolm X Drive, on August 11, 2024. She shared this home with her mother, Jasmine McMichael, her mother’s girlfriend, Kearra Bates, and her siblings (USPA Security, 2024; Holmes, 2024).
Last Seen Wearing
Ja’Niyah was last seen wearing black pajamas, a black hooded sweatshirt, and black and red shoes (USPA Security, 2024).
Disappearance Circumstances
Ja’Niyah McMichael (Rogers), a 13-year-old girl from Gary, Indiana, was last seen at her family home on Malcolm X Drive on August 11, 2024, according to her mother, Jasmine McMichael (USPA Security, 2024). On the morning of August 12, her mother reported finding the front door ajar, the back door unlocked, and Ja’Niyah missing, along with some of her clothing. Ja’Niyah was due to begin the school year the following day (ABC7 Chicago, 2024).
Initially classified as a runaway, Ja’Niyah’s case did not receive a Silver Alert until September 5, 2024, nearly three weeks later. Local advocacy groups, including Missing Lost & Trafficked, criticized the delay, emphasizing the urgency often required in cases involving minors (Wilson, 2025). The FBI joined the investigation in October 2024, executing a search warrant at the home. While details of the search remain undisclosed, the FBI’s Gang Response Investigative Team conducted the operation, reportedly due to historical ties between the family and organized crime (USPA Security, 2024).
Complications in the timeline have emerged. Ja’Niyah’s grandmother, Dalia Guerrero, told local reporters she had not been in contact with her granddaughter since June 2024, raising questions about when Ja’Niyah was last seen (Holmes, 2024). Volunteers searching for Ja’Niyah reported encountering resistance, including alleged gang members near abandoned properties close to the family home. Advocacy groups, including Missing Lost & Trafficked, documented incidents where searchers were met with warning shots while investigating nearby areas (Wilson, 2025).
Despite these challenges, organizations such as USPA Nationwide Security have offered a $10,000 reward for information that could lead to Ja’Niyah’s safe return (USPA Security, 2024). Authorities and advocacy groups continue to urge the public to come forward with any information regarding her whereabouts.
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