Police Search for Missing 12-Year-Old Girl

Police are searching for a missing girl from Clayton, New Jersey.

UPDATE: Early Tuesday morning, police announced a body found in a recycling container in Clayton has been "preliminarily determined" to be that of the missing girl. An autopsy will be performed later today to confirm. Click here for more details. 


Two hundred law enforcement officers and hundreds of volunteers continue to search for a missing girl from Clayton, New Jersey.

Police say Autumn Pasquale, 12, was last seen leaving her home on W. High Street in Clayton on Saturday around 12:30 p.m. while riding a white Odyssey BMX bike to a friend's house. The girl’s parents called police after they say she never made it to that friend's house.

"It's not like her," said the girl's father, Tony Pasquale. "She would have been home 11 o'clock this morning if she slept over a friend's house."

Police say Pasquale may have been spotted at an unknown time on E. Academy Street near Scotland Run Park in Clayton though this has not yet been confirmed.

Hundreds of neighborhood volunteers met at a nearby church and passed around fliers Sunday night. The Clayton Police Department, Child Abduction Response Team, New Jersey State Police, the FBI and officers from 40 other police departments are all taking part in the search. Police say a cell phone tower in Williamstown was the last to pick up a signal from Autumn's phone. Investigators believe her phone is now either off or has run out of power.

A family representative told volunteers to stay out of the woods so bloodhounds could try and pick up the girl's scent.

"People have been out searching all day everywhere," said Michelle Connell of Clayton. "All over town, every little park, railroad parks and school buildings. Every place we can think of." 

The search intensified on Monday. Volunteers from as far as Florida arrived to help with the effort.

The girl is described as a white female, standing 5-foot-2 and weighing 120 pounds with blue eyes and blonde hair in either a pony tail or bun. She was last seen wearing navy blue shorts underneath navy blue sweatpants, a yellow t-shirt with the words “Clayton Soccer” on front, bright blue high-top sneakers and a silver or light Grey Cinch backpack with the word “Reckless” printed across the back.

"She's a good kid," said Connell, who's daughter is friends with Autumn. "She's a sweet girl. Everyone is upset."

"Everyone's working together to try and find her," said Tony. "We love her and we want her to come home."

A $10,000 reward is being offered for information about Autumn's whereabouts.

If you have any information please call the Clayton Police Department at 856-881-2300.
 

Contact Us