Brooklyn 11-Year-Old Goes Missing From Public Swimming Pool

BUSHWICK, BROOKLYN — A missing 11-year-old from the Ocean Hill neighborhood (situated at the intersection of Bed-Stuy, Brownsville, East New York and Crown Heights) was last seen Tuesday night at a public swimming pool in Bushwick, police said.

Nikielese Colon Escalera, pictured above, was seen at 7 p.m. on July 26 at a swimming pool located at 9 Beaver St., according to a media alert circulated by the New York City Police Department (NYPD).

Nine Beaver St. is home to a trendy Bushwick hotel called BKLYN House. In recent months, dozens of rooms at the hotel have reportedly been rented out to the NYC Department of Homeless Services — turning part of the hotel into something of a makeshift homeless shelter.

However, the hotel does not have a pool. When we called the NYPD to clarify, a spokesman said Escalera may have been last seen more near the intersection of Beaver Street and Flushing Avenue — meaning she likely disappeared from the public pool at Bushwick Playground, which stays open until 7 p.m. on Tuesdays.

The police spokesman said Escalera was reported by loved ones as a possible runaway.

The girl's home address is listed on Hull Street near Rockaway Avenue in Ocean Hill.

Escalera was last seen wearing a white and blue sun dress, an orange skirt and flip-flops at the pool, police said.

Anyone with information related to her disappearance can confidentially report it via the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers website or by anonymously calling the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).

Los hispanohablantes pueden llamar 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).

Tips can also be text-messaged to the NYPD by texting 274637 (CRIMES), then entering TIP577.

Editor's Note: This story has been updated to include additional details about Escalera's disappearance.