jQuery selectors in MozillaFirefox vs. Safari/Chrome

jQuery selectors in MozillaFirefox vs. Safari/Chrome

Hello, there is a html element:
  1. <div class="contact" onclick="processGroup('ID1278762232094');" id="ID1278762232094">
    <div class="title">fdsaffdsafdsafasdfsda</div>
    <div><a class="deletionLink" href="javascript:GroupListener.deleteAction('ID1278762232094');">delete</a></div>
    </div>


and JavaScript:

  1. var escapeSelector = function(myid) {
        return '#' + myid.replace(/()/g,'\\$1');
    }

    alert("qq20-1");
    var mmm = "ID1278762232094";
    var elem = $('#' + mmm);                   
    if( elem.size() != 0 ){ //update item
    //    elem.remove();
        alert("removed by id: " + mmm);
    }

    alert("qq20-2");
    elem = $(escapeSelector(mmm));
    alert(escapeSelector(mmm));
    if( elem.size() != 0 ){ //update item
    //    elem.remove();
        alert("removed by escapedSelector: " + escapeSelector(mmm));
    }

    alert("qq20-3");



















In Safari/Chrome we can see the following alert:
alert("removed by escapedSelector: " + escapeSelector(mmm));
But it does not appear in MozillaFirefox

Please help me.