Rakim Celestine, 33, was last in contact with family on February 4, 2023, after moving from Lafayette, Louisiana, to Dallas, Texas. Concern grew when his regular calls stopped and a friend’s troubling call prompted his mother, Eva, to file a missing person report with the Dallas Police Department on February 13, 2023.

Rakim is described as a Black male, 6 feet tall, about 175 pounds, with black medium-length hair that may have been in dreadlocks and a distinct brown streak. Both of his vehicles were missing, including a black 2007 Dodge Nitro. His mother’s IT contact pinged his phone on February 23 and it registered near San Antonio. She also received a ransom demand for more than $2,300 from someone claiming Rakim was alive, which she refused.

Dallas PD’s Missing Persons division classified the case as a want-to-talk, noting no initial evidence of foul play. Rakim performed as Mr. Celestine Mafia and was known to some friends as Lafayette. If anyone has information about Rakim’s whereabouts or sightings of his vehicles, please share what is known.