EAST ORANGE, NJ (WPIX) — Investigators used sonar to search a pond as they looked for possible leads in the disappearance of a 14-year-old New Jersey girl.
JaShyah Moore vanished Oct. 14 after she went out to buy juice and paper towels at a nearby deli. The reward for information in her case was raised to $15,000 Saturday after a local businessman donated $5,000.
“We don’t want to leave any stone unturned,” Essex County Undersheriff Amir Jones said. “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.”
Jones said they have been getting leads and people have called in tips.
“We’re confident that we’re going to bring her home safely to her family,” he said.
At this point, investigators have said they do not believe there is any foul play connected to the teen’s disappearance, but they need the public’s help.
Moore vanished after a second trip to the deli. Her mother had asked her to retrace her steps, after the teen lost the family’s EBT card.
“Keeping this in the public forefront is very important. This reminds us that the lives of a little Black and brown girls are just as important as everybody else’s lives,” acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stevens said.
Jamie Moore, the teen’s mother, issued an emotional plea for help Friday.
“If anybody knows anything, please, please come forward,” Moore’s mother begged. “My baby’s going to high school. She’s a good girl.”
