14-YO Girl Who Went to a Local Deli Never Returned | She Has Been Missing for Over 20 Days

Jashyah Moore, a 14-year-old girl from New Jersey, visited a neighborhood deli close to her home in East Orange in the morning, on October 14, 2021. However, she never returned home after that. Per CNN, police Chief Phyllis Bindi said that surveillance footage of the deli shows a man paying for Moore's items, but they didn't leave together. 

The man in the footage has been completely cooperative with the cops during their investigation, Bindi added. She also mentioned that there's no indication of foul play at this time.

Meanwhile, Moore's mom is heartbroken over her daughter's disappearance and is pleading for any information on her. "Jashyah is a smart girl, I can't reiterate that enough," Jamie Moore said. "She would not stay out, she would not go out, go off with anyone."

"I cannot imagine what she might be going through from just being away from us this long, being away from her family that loves her very much," she continued. She's now consoling her 3-year-old son by telling him that his best friend, Jashyah, will be back home soon. 

In a bid to leave no stones unturned, authorities involved in the search said that crews have turned their attention to a body of water at a park in the area. “We don’t even know if she actually entered the park or not. We know she used to come here once in a while, and the deli that she went to was only about three blocks away from here,” Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura said.

The Essex County Sheriff's office, which is working alongside the East Orange Police, initially offered a $10,000 reward to anyone who has any information that will lead them to Jashyah's location, thus ensuring a safe return back home for the teenager. However, the reward for information has increased from $10,000 to $15,000 thanks to an anonymous donation. The Federal Bureau of Investigations and the New Jersey State Police are also assisting with the case.

City officials have also reached out to the community, asking them to offer any kind of help possible. Essex County Acting Prosecutor Theodore Stephens II also stressed the importance of talking about the case so that it stays in the public eye. 

"This reminds us that the lives of little Black and little brown girls are just as important as everybody else's lives," Stephens said. "And we know that Gabby Petito, which is a very, very notorious case that was constantly in the news did yield results and information. So we are hoping that today's effort will also bring some information so we can find young Jashyah."

“Please, you know, no matter how small the information may appear, how insignificant, it may have large ramifications,” Stephens added, per WLNY. Jashyah is 5 feet, 5 inches tall, and weighs around 135 pounds. She was last seen wearing khakis, black boots, and a black jacket. Anyone with any information is requested to call the police at 877-847-7432 or 973-266-5041. 

References:

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/05/us/jashyah-moore-missing-new-jersey/index.html

https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2021/11/07/jashyah-moore-search-missing-teen-east-orange-new-jersey/

Cover Image Source: YouTube | CBS New York