'Massive Search' On For Missing Neptune City Teenager, Monmouth County Prosecutor Says

The empty silver 1994 Oldsmobile 88 was parked on the shoulder of the southbound lanes of the Route 35 bridge in Belmar, with the keys in the ignition, early Saturday morning.

There was no sign of 19-year-old Sarah Stern, who was last seen on the afternoon of Dec. 2, when she left the Neptune City home she shared with her father and grandmother.

“We are asking everyone to keep an eye out for this young woman, and report any possible sightings as soon as possible,” Gramiccioni said Wednesday.

The abandoned car - which had no mechanical issues - was first reported by a passerby to a Neptune Township police officer. There were no people in the area. The car was later towed off the bridge by the Neptune Township police, he said.

Neptune police contacted Belmar police around 3::40 a.m. to notify them the car was actually in Belmar's jurisdiction, which sparked a broader search for the young woman, Gramiccioni said.

Belmar police called in the Belmar Water Rescue Team to search the Shark River to determine if Stern may have jumped from the bridge, he said.

“An extensive search in the water and the surrounding area was conducted in an attempt to locate Miss Stern with negative results,” Gramiccioni said.

The Belmar Water Rescue Team was assisted by the United States Coast Guard, the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team, the Area Network of Shore Water Emergency Responders (ANSWER) team and the New Jersey State Police. They searched the Shark River with divers, boats and helicopters over the next several days, but found no one in the water, he said.

"Preliminary attempts to locate Sarah Stern were unsuccessful," Gramiccioni said.

The Prosecutor's Office joined the search on Dec. 4.

"At this time, Sarah’s whereabouts are unknown. The investigation is active and ongoing with all possible scenarios being explored," Gramiccioni said.

The Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office and the Belmar Police Department are joined in the investigation by the New Jersey State Police Missing Persons Unit, Neptune City Police Department and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Stern is a 19-year-old white female who stands about 5-foot 6-inches tall. She weighs about 130 pounds, with a medium complexion, long dark brown hair that hangs past her shoulders and hazel eyes.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Brian Weisbrot from the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office at 732-431-7160 or Detective John Mahoney from the Belmar Police Department at 732-681-1700.

Image: Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office