Reports indicate that a missing Black 14-year-old girl from East Orange, NJ, who had been missing for a month, was found in Harlem Thursday night.
At a press conference Friday, officials said Jashyah Moore appeared to have run away from home. She cut her hair in order to not be recognized, however, she was spotted by someone who knew her family was looking for her.
Reports indicate that Moore was staying at a shelter in Brooklyn and she also stopped in several places in New Jersey. Authorities say the teen is more comfortable where she is and that she was hiding from her mother.
Later in the day, Moore’s mother, Jamie, was arrested and charged with child endangerment, according to reports. Jamie’s other child, a 3-year-old son, was taken out of her custody.
Moore was last seen on Oct. 14 at a deli near her home. The girl’s mother told authorities Moore never returned from a morning trip to the nearby store. Since then, the East Orange Police Division (EOPD) had been working in collaboration with the FBI, the New Jersey State Police, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office and the Essex County Sheriff’s Office to follow all leads related to Moore’s disappearance.
According to deli employees and surveillance footage, Moore entered the store with an older male who paid for her items at the register. The footage does not appear to show the two leaving together. The man was identified and interviewed by police; no foul play is suspected.
“Jashyah is one of our own,” East Orange Mayor Ted Green said this week. “As a parent and grandparent myself, this hits my heart hard and I will not rest until she’s found. Her safety and well-being are our main focus and we need everyone to be our eyes and ears to help us bring her safely home.”
During a press conference held on Wednesday, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens said that more than 50 dedicated law enforcement personnel had been scouring the area, retracing Jashyah’s steps, reviewing video footage and following up on old and new leads.
A reward of $20,000 was being offered for information leading to Moore being found.