Caroline Starkman, the missing 18-year-old from Engelwood, N.J., who disappeared from Coney Island early this summer has been found and reunited with her family.
Her family rabbi said she was found “without serious injury.”
Robert Miller, a family friend and neighbor, said police had found Starkman as a result of answering a noise complaint and then determined her identity.
The Record of Bergen County reported on its website late Thursday night that Starkman had been charged with “acting in a manner injuring a child less than 17 years old,” and that she was released to an attorney who arranged for her to meet with a representative of Mothers and Fathers Aligned Saving Kids, known as MASK, who then reunited her with her family.
MASK helps young people who have conflicts with their families, have trouble with substance abuse or other social ills or have difficulty fitting into Orthodox life.
Miller said Starkman had been treated for a broken arm following her arrest around 3 a.m. Thursday morning. He said the family had not heard anything from Caroline since her July 11 disappearance. It’s unclear where she had been living or how she supported herself.
An NYPD spokesman on Thursday evening said he could not confirm any information about the case, saying it was still under investigation.
The disappearance of Starkman, a student at Touro College, sparked a widespread campaign for information. Her parents hired a private investigator to supplement the efforts of the NYPD and members of the community and family offered a $10,000 reward for information.
In an email to members of Congregation Ahavath Torah of Engelwood, to which the Starkman family belongs, Rabbi Shmuel Goldin on Thursday wrote, “We are gratified beyond measure to inform the community that Caroline Starkman has been found without serious injury. The family firmly believes that the prayers and support of the entire community have enabled them to reach this moment and they express their deepest gratitude.”
Further details on the nature of her disappearance and how she was found were not immediately available. Rabbi Goldin, on behalf of the family, asked the congregation to respect the family’s privacy “as they chart the best course for Starkman. They will share developments with the community in the future.”
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