Reward increased for East Orange teen missing since Oct. 14 after anonymous donation
UPDATE: Missing East Orange teen Jashyah Moore found safe in NYC
An anonymous donor has increased the reward for information leading to the recovery of a teen who went missing from East Orange almost a month ago.
As law enforcement agencies and community organizers step up their search for 14-year-old Jashyah Moore, an unknown person raised the reward to $20,000, the Essex County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday.
Moore has been missing since 10 a.m. on the morning of Oct. 14, when she went to a deli on Central Avenue in East Orange, near her home, to get some groceries. When she returned empty-handed, she told her mother, Jaime Moore, that she had lost her payment card, according to WPIX.
Jaime Moore told her daughter to retrace her steps, but she never returned.
Since then, East Orange police have teamed with officers from Orange, the Essex County sheriff's and prosecutor's offices and New Jersey State Police, as well as the FBI, which has taken an interest in the case since it received national coverage, with some in the community pleading for the same widespread attention given to recently disappeared 22-year-old Gabby Petito, who was found dead of strangulation in September.
On Wednesday, Essex County prosecutors announced that their office has escalated its focus on the case and formed a task force to coordinate with the other investigating agencies.
However, Moore's mother believes investigators have taken the wrong tack, insisting her daughter was taken and did not run away.
During a search of the area near the deli that was organized by local activists, Jaime Moore urged anyone who may have kidnapped the young girl to return her safely.
“You don’t have to tell us who you are, just don’t hurt my baby,” Jaime Moore told WPIX, pleading with the supposed kidnapper. “Drop her off at the police station.”
Law enforcement has released almost no details on any leads and suspicions in the case.
Jaime Moore is continuing her efforts and established a GoFundMe page to raise money that will pay for flyers, posters and T-shirts to help raise awareness for Moore's case.
As of Wednesday night, the fund had exceeded its goal with $7,848 raised.
"I just want my baby back home with her loving family laughing playing her PS4 with her little brother," Jaime wrote on the fund's webpage.
Nicholas Katzban is a breaking news reporter for NorthJersey.com. To get breaking news directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.
Email: katzban@northjersey.com
Twitter: @nicholaskatzban
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: East Orange NJ: Jashyah Moore reward raised for missing child
