Authorities are reporting that a 14-year-old Black girl has been found in New York City after disappearing from East Orange, New Jersey, following a trip to an area store almost a month ago.
According to Pix 11, a local news station, acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II said that JaShyah Moore was “safe and is being provided all appropriate services.”
The teenager was found after a Good Samaritan noticed her Thursday in Harlem near West 111th Street and Lenox Avenue. The person, who has not been identified, asked the girl if her name was JaShyah, to which she initially responded, “No.”
However, she was taken to a police precinct, where she ultimately admitted her identity and disclosed that she had not been happy at home.
It has been confirmed young JaShyah was evaluated at a New York hospital, and she is reportedly in good physical condition.
There is no update on when she will be reunited with her family or what additional services the Moore family may be provided. A press conference is expected to be held Friday morning to provide further updates on the case. Details on JaShyah’s recovery and whereabouts are expected to be disclosed at today’s press conference.
Jamie Moore, JaShyah’s mother, said in an interview that she had been out handing out flyers alerting people about her missing child when she got the call on Thursday evening that her daughter had been found.
“I fell to my knees, I was so happy,” Moore said, according to Pix11 News.
As reported Thursday, a reward for information leading to the safe return of the teen was increased from $10,000 to $15,000; it was later raised to $20,000.
JaShyah was last seen in her native East Orange after she visited a market for small essential items. When her mother’s EBT card was misplaced, she went out to retrace her steps — then did not return from that second trip.
Search parties have been looking for the teen since her Oct. 14 disappearance, and the FBI joined the investigation as community members noted that probes into missing Black and brown girls often go underreported in the media.
Last Sunday, investigators used sonar equipment to search for JaShyah in a pond near her home. “We don’t want to leave any stone unturned,” Essex County undersheriff Amir Jones said in a local interview. “We know she’s been in the park before; Poppy’s Deli is about five blocks from here, so we want to check this park thoroughly.”
However, he added, “We’re confident that we’re going to bring her home safely to her family.”
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