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A New Jersey teen vanishes after a trip to a local deli. She's been missing 3 weeks
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New Jersey authorities are searching for a missing teen who vanished after taking a trip to an East Orange deli last month.
JaShyah Moore, 14, of East Orange, was last seen on Oct. 14 at around 10 a.m. after she took a trip to Poppies Deli, according to a release from the city of East Orange. The teen had earlier gone to the store to pick up items for her family.
East Orange Police Chief Phyllis Bindi says officers are working closely with partner agencies, as they continue to analyze data and follow every tip that may lead police to find JaShyah.
"We are asking for the public's assistance and we urge anyone with information to contact our Tips Hotline at 973.266.5041," Bindi said in an email to NPR.
Further details regarding JaShyah's disappearance have not been released by New Jersey authorities, as the East Orange Police Department, the FBI and State Police are working together to find her.
NPR reached out to the New Jersey State Police; they did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In an interview with local TV station WPIX, JaShyah's mother, Jamie Moore, said her daughter initially came home from the deli and told her that she lost the EBT card she used to pay for food.
"She came back and she said, 'Mommy, I lost the card,' " Jamie Moore said. She said she told to teen to "backtrack [her] steps" to find the card.
Jamie Moore told WPIX that when JaShyah didn't return home within an hour, she went out to search for her. She said she went to several delis in the area, but could not find her daughter.
She eventually flagged a nearby police officer to report JaShyah missing.
"She's such a smart girl. She would not stay out overnight," Jamie Moore said. "I know my daughter. She would not want me to worry."
New Jersey authorities say they have secured surveillance footage from Poppies Deli and U.S. Food Market, another store JaShyah visited before she disappeared.
JaShyah is described as 5 feet, 5 inches tall. She was last seen wearing khaki pants, a black jacket and black boots, police said.
If you see JaShyah Moore or know of her whereabouts, authorities urge you to call East Orange police immediately.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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