24-Year-Old Found In Meadowlands After Two

By Cecilia Levine From Daily Voice

A 24-year-old Rutherford resident in the midst of a mental health crisis was found safe Thursday night, Aug. 22, ending a tense two-day search that drew multiple law enforcement agencies to the Meadowlands, authorities said.

The man’s parents reported him missing on Wednesday, Aug. 20, after he failed to return home from his job at the American Dream Mall the night before, Rutherford Police Chief John Russo said.

New Jersey State Police, who have jurisdiction over the Meadowlands grounds, worked alongside Rutherford police in the early stages of the investigation. Surveillance footage quickly became a key lead, showing the man walking into the meadows near MetLife Stadium.

The search expanded to include officers from East Rutherford and Lyndhurst, as well as the Bergen County Sheriff’s K9 unit. The Wyckoff Police Emergency Response Team joined the effort, and around 7:30 p.m. Thursday, their drone spotted the man in the Meadowlands, Russo said.

He was taken to a hospital for evaluation.