She doesn't know Autumn Pasquale.
But Sheila Burns, a mother and special education schoolteacher, drove 40 minutes from Voorhees to join the search for the missing 12-year-old Gloucester County girl.
"I just hope they find her," she said, eyes welling with tears. " . . . I would want everybody looking for my daughter."
The search for Autumn - missing since Saturday after she left home on a white BMX bike - widened Monday into an all-out effort by relatives, friends, and residents who handed out fliers and canvassed the girl's Clayton neighborhood and surrounding communities.
They were joined by 200 officers from 20 local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies as well as State Police dogs and helicopters.
At the same time, authorities announced a $10,000 reward for information leading to Autumn: $5,000 from her family and a matching amount from the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office.
"No persons of interest" had been identified, said Gloucester County Prosecutor Sean Dalton, adding that area residents' "outpouring on behalf of this family has been phenomenal."
As dusk approached Monday, Autumn's uncle, Paul Spadafora, asked volunteers to end the search for the day and attend an 8 p.m. vigil at Clayton Borough Hall.
"We're going to pray for the family," he said. "We're going to pray for the safe return of my goddaughter.
"They're [authorities] going to find Autumn," he said. "They're going to bring her home.
"We're going to have one of the biggest you-know-what birthday parties for her next Monday" when she turns 13, he said.
Autumn was last seen at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, pedaling her bicycle from her West High Street home, where she lives with her father, her two siblings, her father's girlfriend, and the girlfriend's children. She was reported missing at 9:30 p.m. after failing to meet a family-imposed curfew.
Since then, Dalton said, authorities have interviewed about 75 relatives, friends, and residents as they have sought clues to the girl's whereabouts.
Hundreds of officers and community volunteers canvassed Clayton, Monroe, Glassboro, and Elk, Washington, and Franklin Townships as part of ever-widening efforts.
Authorities also interviewed registered sex offenders, Dalton said.
The girl's parents, Anthony Pasquale, a letter carrier, and Jennifer Cornwell of Cherry Hill, stood silently on either side of the prosecutor during Monday's news conference. Pasquale appeared to be overcome with emotion as he left the room.
One of Autumn's best friends, DeAnna Edwards-McMillen, 11, said the missing girl had been visiting her Clayton house until 6:15 p.m. Friday and last communicated with her by text message at 1:22 p.m. Saturday. Autumn sometimes used her BMX bike to jump ramps in the driveway there.
"We were talking about Christmas presents," said the fifth grader, who broke off texting Saturday because she had to go shopping with her father.
"She's nice, she's friendly, she's easy to be friends with," DeAnna added. "She doesn't hate people; I don't think she's hated by people."
DeAnna's mother, Debi McMillen, said Autumn left before her 8 p.m. curfew and "was never late going home. She always had contact with her father, so this is very out of the ordinary to be missing - not like her."
Autumn's last text message was sent at 2:30 p.m., according to authorities, who did not say who had received it.
The missing girl is 5-foot-4, weighs 120 pounds, and has blond hair and blue eyes.
She is a seventh grader at Clayton Middle School, where her absence was also felt Monday. Clayton Public School Superintendent David T. Lindenmuth said the district's hopes and prayers were with the family.
"When one member of our family is hurting, we are all hurting," Lindenmuth said.
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But Sheila Burns, a mother and special education schoolteacher, drove 40 minutes from Voorhees to join the search for the missing 12-year-old Gloucester County girl.
"I just hope they find her," she said, eyes welling with tears. " . . . I would want everybody looking for my daughter."
The search for Autumn - missing since Saturday after she left home on a white BMX bike - widened Monday into an all-out effort by relatives, friends, and residents who handed out fliers and canvassed the girl's Clayton neighborhood and surrounding communities.
They were joined by 200 officers from 20 local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies as well as State Police dogs and helicopters.
At the same time, authorities announced a $10,000 reward for information leading to Autumn: $5,000 from her family and a matching amount from the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office.
"No persons of interest" had been identified, said Gloucester County Prosecutor Sean Dalton, adding that area residents' "outpouring on behalf of this family has been phenomenal."
As dusk approached Monday, Autumn's uncle, Paul Spadafora, asked volunteers to end the search for the day and attend an 8 p.m. vigil at Clayton Borough Hall.
"We're going to pray for the family," he said. "We're going to pray for the safe return of my goddaughter.
"They're [authorities] going to find Autumn," he said. "They're going to bring her home.
"We're going to have one of the biggest you-know-what birthday parties for her next Monday" when she turns 13, he said.
Autumn was last seen at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, pedaling her bicycle from her West High Street home, where she lives with her father, her two siblings, her father's girlfriend, and the girlfriend's children. She was reported missing at 9:30 p.m. after failing to meet a family-imposed curfew.
Since then, Dalton said, authorities have interviewed about 75 relatives, friends, and residents as they have sought clues to the girl's whereabouts.
Hundreds of officers and community volunteers canvassed Clayton, Monroe, Glassboro, and Elk, Washington, and Franklin Townships as part of ever-widening efforts.
Authorities also interviewed registered sex offenders, Dalton said.
The girl's parents, Anthony Pasquale, a letter carrier, and Jennifer Cornwell of Cherry Hill, stood silently on either side of the prosecutor during Monday's news conference. Pasquale appeared to be overcome with emotion as he left the room.
One of Autumn's best friends, DeAnna Edwards-McMillen, 11, said the missing girl had been visiting her Clayton house until 6:15 p.m. Friday and last communicated with her by text message at 1:22 p.m. Saturday. Autumn sometimes used her BMX bike to jump ramps in the driveway there.
"We were talking about Christmas presents," said the fifth grader, who broke off texting Saturday because she had to go shopping with her father.
"She's nice, she's friendly, she's easy to be friends with," DeAnna added. "She doesn't hate people; I don't think she's hated by people."
DeAnna's mother, Debi McMillen, said Autumn left before her 8 p.m. curfew and "was never late going home. She always had contact with her father, so this is very out of the ordinary to be missing - not like her."
Autumn's last text message was sent at 2:30 p.m., according to authorities, who did not say who had received it.
The missing girl is 5-foot-4, weighs 120 pounds, and has blond hair and blue eyes.
She is a seventh grader at Clayton Middle School, where her absence was also felt Monday. Clayton Public School Superintendent David T. Lindenmuth said the district's hopes and prayers were with the family.
"When one member of our family is hurting, we are all hurting," Lindenmuth said.
Page: 1 of 2 View All