Missing Couple Found Dead

Prosecutors say a young couple who went missing late last month have been found dead in a garage at a North Jersey home.

But it's not yet known what caused the deaths of 24-year-old Garfield resident Jorge Rodriguez and his 25-year-old girlfriend, Melissa Pereira. They were found around 11:15 a.m. in Wayne, but authorities would not provide further details.

The couple was last seen leaving Pereira's home in Wayne on Dec. 27.

Authorities have said they were headed to a Pennsylvania bed and breakfast, where they had made New Year's Eve reservations. They were reported missing Dec. 30.

Passaic County Assistant Prosecutor Michael DeMarco told The Star-Ledger that investigators are awaiting the results of an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of the deaths.

When reached at Pereira's home on Sunday night, a man who identified himself as her uncle told the newspaper that the family is simply waiting for answers.

"At this point we're just still in shock and we're just trying to wait for what the medical examiners are going to say," the man said. "Just in shock."

Attempts to reach the Rodriguez family were unsuccessful. 

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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