Kara Alongi, the 16-year-old Clark, New Jersey girl who faked her own kidnapping and ran away from home, may be in New York.
Alongi is a runaway teen who tried to set up a fake kidnapping and pretended she got abducted by posting a message to Twitter which spread among thousands of people.
On Sunday evening, Alongi wrote "There is somone in my hour ecall 911." This message was quickly shared around the social network as thousands of people tried to help spread the word in hopes that Alongi would quickly be found. She gave everyone the impression that she was kidnapped.
When her parents came home after her younger brother's sporting event, they found that their daughter was missing. Police were called and investigated the house and the neighborhood.
Alongi wasn't abducted. Her tweet was a failed attempt to cover up the fact that she was really running away from home.
The Clark Police Department found that while Alongi sent out the tweet, a cab was also called to her house. A cab driver identified Alongi as a girl he picked up and took to the Rahway Train Station. Surveillance footage shows Alongi at the station with a large backpack and a bag as she waits for a train.
According to Patch, the teen took the 6:47 train to New York's Penn Station.
The girl's grandfather, Paul Alongi Sr. went to Penn Station on Monday to search for his granddaughter and to pass out flyers with her photo. He told Patch that her family knows that she ran away and they just want her back safe.
Her grandfather, Paul Alongi Sr., spent Monday night passing out flyers with her photo at Penn Station.
He said now that Kara's family knows she ran away from home, they want her know she can come back.
"We know that she might be embarrassed or even fearful," her grandfather, Paul Alongi Sr., told Patch. "We just want her to know it's okay. Come on home. We just want you, honey."
When police interviewed people who knew Alongi, they said that she was responsible for police breaking up a high school party where teens where drinking. The event created tension between Alongi and her friends. Police said that they're not sure if this is why she decided to leave home.
The last evidence of Alongi was the images that were captured at the train station. Police are continuing to pursue this lead.
"We are talking to the conductors who saw her on the train and we continue to work with New Jersey Transit to review video available at the train stations," Chief Scherb told Patch.
Alongi's tweet brought her runaway to national attention. Tens of thousands of people sent out her terrifying message which made people think she was kidnapped.
Now that people realize that she faked her own kidnapping, they're not happy.
Some examples of tweets include:
"Kara alongi makes me very angry."
"#helpfindkara a good therapist or something. So much attention focused on one person who faked being kidnapped. Unreal"
"@karaalongi you are taking the focus off of all the real people who are kidnapped. Instead everyone is focused on your lie , you disgust me."
Alongi now has over 109,000 followers on Twitter. News of her tweet caused the Clark Police department to be overwhelmed with over 6,000 phone calls.
Police and Alongi's family and friends fear that this national attention may make Alongi afraid to return home at this point.
"Kara might feel that she will be in trouble if she comes home after this scare and causing a panic," said Clark Police Chief Alan Scherb in a news release. "At this point, all everyone cares about is seeing her safe and at her house where she belongs."
Kara Alongi is 5'3'' and weighs about 105 lbs. She has blonde hair and hazel eyes. According to the surveillance video, she was last wearing blue leggings and a blue or purple shirt.
If you have any new information about Alongi's whereabouts, contact the Clark Police Department at 732-388-3434 or send an anonymous tip to Union County Crime Stoppers at 908-654-TIPS.
