13 Children Reported Missing In Rhode Island: Have You Seen Them?

RHODE ISLAND — Thirteen missing Rhode Island children are among dozens of kidnapped and missing children the FBI is working to bring home as part of National Missing Children’s Day.

As of Thursday, there were 13 missing children in the state, according to a long-running database kept by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, a national nonprofit started in 1984 by child advocates and the parents of children kidnapped.

Here's a look at some of the children currently reported as missing in Rhode Island.

Jonalys Calderon, missing since May 21, 2023, from Smithfield. Is now 15.

Robert Littlefield, missing since May 16, 2023, from North Providence. Is now 14.

Taliaya Lovett, missing since May 16, 2023, from Central Falls. Is now 17.

Collin Cloutier, missing since Apr 16, 2023, from Providence. Is now 14.

Yamelis Garcia-Dandrade, missing since April 14, 2023, from Providence. Is now 17.

Shakyrah Green, missing since April 13, 2023, from East Providence. Is now 17.

Jonathan Reyes-Martinez, missing since March 21, 2023, from Providence. Is now 17.

Sarah Desjardin, missing since March 15, 2023, from Pawtucket. Is now 17.

Toni You, missing since Feb. 22, 2023, from North Providence. Is now 15.

Elbin Barrios, missing since Dec. 16, 2022, from Narragansett. Is now 15.

Joseph Cady, missing since Nov. 10, 2022, from Warwick. Is now 16.

Francisco Herpin, missing since Aug. 15, 2022, from Woonsocket. Is now 18.

Nevaeh Goddard, missing since April 14, 2022, from Lincoln. Is now 16.

The FBI, in its announcement of National Missing Children’s Day, also released a separate Kidnappings and Missing Persons list.

“Please take a moment to review the list — and if you recognize anyone or have any information in a case, contact the FBI or local law enforcement or submit a tip online,” the FBI said in the statement. “No detail is too small.”

“We as law enforcement never forget these children and never stop looking for them,” Todd Tumbleson, a criminal investigator for the Nevada Attorney General’s Office and an officer on the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, said in a statement.

Tumbleson has been involved in the investigation of a missing 7-year-old in Las Vegas who disappeared in 1999. These kids and their families “deserve nothing less” than a commitment from law enforcement to never stop trying to bring them home, he said.

“The public often knows something they think is not important but which we in law enforcement find very important,” said Tumbleson, who has been involved in a multi-year investigation into the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a 7-year-old in Las Vegas reported missing by her school in 1999 and never returned home.

Sometimes when people hear about the case of a missing child, “it brings back memories of things a suspect said or things the witness saw that might help to locate a child,” Tumbleson said. “Any information the public has should be shared with those investigating the case.”

The FBI said National Missing Children’s Day is also a reminder of the steps parents should take if their child disappears under suspicious circumstances. FBI agents have the authority to immediately begin investigating mysterious disappearances or kidnappings, regardless of jurisdiction.

“Do not wait to report a missing child,” the agency said.

The FBI’s free Child ID app allows parents to quickly share key information with authorities if their child is missing. The app also provides on keeping children safe and guidance on what to do during the first crucial hours after a child disappears.