Police in Newark recovered the body of a Union County man who went missing without a trace for about a week.
Newark Police officials said on Tuesday, February 23, 2021, Newark Police received a request from Linden Police to assist in locating a missing person, Mr. Jeffery Mendoza, 20, of Linden after his vehicle was located on the northbound lane of the Pulaski Skyway.
Police officials said they employed their drones, but no one was found after performing an aerial search of the river, but nothing was found during the investigation.
According to police, the following day, a secondary search of the area around the Pulaski Skyway, which encompasses South Kearny and Newark, resulted in police finding Mr. Mendoza in an automobile storage yard.
Police say no foul play is suspected and due to the injuries sustained during the fall, it took detectives additional time to identify the victim with the involvement of Linden Police positively.
Police and City officials in Linden said the following in a statement:
”As many of you have already heard, Jeffrey Mendoza, the 20-year-old Linden resident, reported missing last week, has been located.
It is with great sadness that we confirm that Mendoza has passed away. The investigation has been turned over to the Newark Police Department”.