Police Search for Caldwell College Grad, Boyfriend

Written by Daniel Hubbard and Michael D'Onofrio

Police are searching for a Caldwell College graduate and her boyfriend after they disappeared shortly after Christmas. 

Melissa Pereira, 25, of Wayne, and her boyfriend Jorge Rodriguez, 24, of Garfield, were last seen Dec. 27 at Pereira’s home in Wayne. 

Wayne Police Detective Capt. James Clarke said police have no information to indicate Rodriguez and Pereira are “in jeopardy.”

“The families are concerned because they have been unable to contact them," Clarke said. "The police department is actively assisting the families in attempting to locate these individuals." 

Pereira's LinkedIn page said she attended Caldwell College between 2007-11 and majored in communications. She also worked at the Fox News Channel for more than a year, and prior to that worked as a technology director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, according to her LinkedIn page. 

The two may have been spotted on Tuesday in Hunterdon County, police said.

A woman reported to the Garfield Police Department that she picked up two people walking along Route 12 that “resembled the missing persons,” Garfield police said.

“We’re not sure if it’s them. It’s just a possibility,” Garfield Capt. Darren Sucorowski. “The woman reportedly thought it was too cold for the people to be walking outside and she offered them a ride.”

The woman drove the pair to the Hunterdon County Library in Flemington that was being used as a warming center. Flemington is located about an hour southwest of Wayne.

Lubys Cruz, Rodriguez’s cousin, said the families have not been in contact with either Rodriguez or Pereira since Dec. 27. Pereira did not take her wallet or a coat with her when she left home.

“It’s really alarming the way they were dressed and how cold it’s been,” Cruz said at the time. “We’re staring to get really concerned.”

Pereira is 5-foot-6, weighs 150 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes. They were seen in a white 1998 Honda Prelude with the license plate E77AYX. The car has tinted windows and a New York Giants decal on the back.

Rodriguez is 5-foot-11, weighs 180 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a black shirt and black pants.

Pereira is 5-foot-6, weighs 150 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes. They were seen in a white 1998 Honda Prelude with the license plate E77AYX. The car has tinted windows and a New York Giants decal on the back.

Anyone with information can call the Wayne Police detective bureau at 973-633-3530 or the Garfield Police Department at 973-478-8500.

Have a question or news tip? Contact editor Michael D'Onofrio at mike.donofrio@patch.com or leave a comment below.