In the shadow of Chicago’s South Side, where bustling streets hide untold stories of struggle and resilience, a desperate plea echoes from the Chicago Police Department (CPD): the search for a vulnerable 15-year-old girl, seven months pregnant and classified as high-risk missing. Tamera Thompson, last seen just days ago, has ignited a citywide call to action, her disappearance a stark reminder of the perils facing young Black women in urban America. As temperatures drop into the November chill, time is of the essence—every hour without leads heightens the fear that this teen, on the cusp of motherhood, could be in grave danger. CPD’s Special Victims Unit is leading the effort, urging anyone with information to come forward, no matter how small. “Tamera is not just a missing person; she’s a child carrying a child, and we need the community’s eyes and ears,” said Detective Maria Gonzalez in a press briefing late yesterday.
Tamera was reported missing on the evening of November 1, 2025, from her home in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side. According to family members, who spoke anonymously to local outlets out of respect for privacy, the teen had been dealing with the complexities of an unplanned pregnancy amid the turbulence of adolescence. At 15, Tamera is described as petite but determined, with a bright smile that belies the challenges she’s faced. Her pregnancy, now in its third trimester, adds layers of urgency: medical experts emphasize that high-risk missing persons in advanced gestation face immediate threats from dehydration, stress, untreated conditions like preeclampsia, or exposure to the elements. “A 7-month fetus is viable outside the womb, but without proper care, both lives hang in the balance,” noted Dr. Elena Rivera, an OB-GYN at Rush University Medical Center, who has consulted on similar cases.
CPD’s alert paints a vivid picture to aid identification: Tamera is approximately 5 feet 2 inches tall, weighs around 120 pounds, and has black hair often styled in braids, with brown eyes and a small scar on her left cheek from a childhood mishap. She was last seen wearing a gray hoodie, black leggings, and white sneakers, carrying a pink backpack with schoolbooks and prenatal vitamins. Surveillance footage from a corner store near 51st Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive— an area Tamera frequents for its mix of shops and bus stops—shows her walking alone around 4 p.m. on the day she vanished. The video, grainy but telling, captures her glancing over her shoulder, phone in hand, before disappearing into the crowd. “She looked distracted, like she was texting or calling someone,” a store clerk told WGN-TV investigators, adding that Tamera had bought a bottle of water and a snack, mentioning she was “just heading to a friend’s.”
The high-risk designation stems from multiple factors: Tamera’s age places her in a demographic statistically vulnerable to exploitation, with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children reporting that one in six endangered runaways is lured into trafficking. Her pregnancy amplifies this; studies from the U.S. Department of Justice indicate pregnant teens are 2.5 times more likely to face coercive situations, often from acquaintances or online predators. Family sources reveal Tamera had been active on social media, sharing ultrasound photos and venting about school pressures, which could have exposed her to unwanted attention. “She’s a good kid—honor roll student, loves drawing and R&B music—but life’s been tough lately,” her aunt shared with ABC7 Chicago, her voice cracking over the phone. No signs of foul play have been confirmed, but CPD isn’t ruling out anything, from voluntary runaway to abduction. Detectives have canvassed friends, reviewed her phone records (last pinged near Washington Park), and issued a reverse 911 alert to nearby residents.
This isn’t an isolated incident in Chicago, a city that grapples with over 20,000 missing persons reports annually, disproportionately affecting Black and brown youth. Echoes of past cases haunt investigators: the 2018 disappearance of pregnant postal worker Kierra Coles, still unsolved after seven years, or the 2024 recovery of 15-year-old Lezly Martinez, found safe after two days missing from Marquette Park. Tamera’s case, however, carries the weight of impending birth—her due date is mere weeks away, per family estimates. Community advocates like the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE) are mobilizing, distributing flyers at churches, salons, and CTA stops. “Pregnant Black girls go missing every day, but their stories rarely trend,” said CAASE executive director Sharmine Persaud. “We need systemic change—more funding for youth shelters, better online safety education—but right now, we need Tamera home safe.”
The search has mobilized an army of volunteers. By midday today, over 50 community members joined CPD in a sweep of Washington Park, combing trails and underpasses with K-9 units and drones. Social media is ablaze: #FindTameraNow has garnered 15,000 shares since last night, with influencers and local rappers amplifying the alert. A GoFundMe for reward money—now at $10,000—promises anonymity for tips. CPD’s tip line (312-747-8383) and the anonymous portal at cpdtip.com are flooded, though most leads so far are false alarms: a sighting at a Englewood mall turned out to be a lookalike, and a tip about a group of teens near the lakefront yielded nothing.
As night falls on November 4, the city’s pulse quickens with worry. Tamera’s mother, speaking through tears at a vigil outside her home, clutched a sonogram photo. “My baby girl is strong, but she’s scared. If you’re out there, Tamera, know Mama loves you. Come home—we’ll figure this out together.” For those who know something, the message is clear: silence isn’t safety. In a metropolis of millions, one teen’s vanishing act demands we all look closer.
