Found Deceased NJ- Mauri Mendez, 29, Lakewood, 27 Aug 2020

[mlhenn]

No sign of N.J. man who went missing more than a week ago

LAKEWOOD: Help Find Missing Person | Ocean County Scanner News

Age: 29


Height: 5’9”


Weight: 225


Any information please call Lakewood, NJ Police


Or Detective Lopez (732) 363-0200 ext. 5335


August 27 at 9:15am- Mauri called his mom from their Lakewood home and told her he was coming to where she was — his sister’s house in Toms River.
The trip takes about 10 mins, however he never made it and hasn’t been seen or heard from since then.
August 27 at about 9:30am- Mauri received a phone call which lasted 2-3 minutes, but it traces back to a number that appears to be a prepaid cell phone.
LE obtained a warrant to seize phone company records to review Mendez’s text messages and use GPS data to determine where his phone traveled after he went missing.

Mauri was driving a 2000 Chevy Blazer that’s tan in color. The four-door SUV has tint on the rear windows and the license plate is NJ F62LZU. There’s a large dent on the driver’s side door of the Blazer.

 

[mlhenn]

No sign of N.J. man who went missing more than a week ago

Mendez’s mother found a letter from Mendez inside her Bible on Friday. It said he wanted a fresh start and was going to Florida or Ecuador in late September.

He had also recently been telling his mother that he was scared. He texted her saying so one night and then came home and started to cry about it. But he wouldn’t tell his mother who or what he was afraid of.

His family reached out to friends and co-workers and one said that he had plans with Mendez on Saturday, but Mendez never showed or called.

Reasons family and LE don’t believe he left on his own to start a new life:
•Mauri made plans for the weekend
•There hasn’t been any activity with bank account; money is still in there
•His belongings, clothes, etc are still in his room, not packed up

Missing Man’s Family Hires Attorney To Aid In Search | Jersey Shore Online

Looks as if the family has hired a lawyer.

 

[Gigi3]

This doesn’t sound good at all. Very concerned for Mauri.

 

[rainynights]

His Facebook page: Mauri Mendez

LE Facebook post: Lakewood Police Department

 

[kelsie]

Law Offices of Jef Henninger, Esq.

The family of missing Lakewood man, Mauri Mendez has hired attorney Jef Henninger, Esq. to assist with the investigation and to help with the media. Mr. Mendez has been missing since Thursday, August 27th. He was last seen leaving his Lakewood residence in a 4 door, tan Chevy Blazer with license plate number F62LZU. His last communication to his family was a text to his mother that same day to advise that he would meet with her at his sister's house. He never showed. His phone is no longer on.

Mr. Mendez's car was in the shop so the car that he is driving was borrowed with permission from his mother's boyfriend. Because there is no reason to believe that Mr. Mendez is voluntarily staying away from his family, the car is now considered stolen. Anyone possessing the car for any reason is committing a crime.

No sign of N.J. man who went missing more than a week ago

“My brother has a learning disability. He’s 29 but his mind is like a 15-year-old,” Loehwing said. “He’s vulnerable. He’s very trusting in people. He’s just a loving person. He thinks everyone he meets is his friend. I don’t know if he was talking to someone and that person wasn’t a good person. Anything is possible.”

 

[kelsie]

Oh no, very sad news :'(

Law Offices of Jef Henninger, Esq.

Mauri Mendez has been found deceased in the car he was driving in the parking lot of the Wall Township ShopRite. His death is currently under investigation. The family is devastated as this was not the outcome that anyone expected. As no one plans to bury their 29 year old son, they do not have money set aside for his funeral expenses. They will be setting up a GoFundMe page to help defray the costs of his funeral. A link will be provided on the Law Offices of Jef Henninger's Facebook page as soon as possible.
On behalf of the family, I would like to thank everyone on social media that took time out of their busy Labor Day weekend to share this story. Thanks to you, we were able to reach tens of thousands of people. They would also like to thank the news media that covered this story including http://NJ.com/, the Asbury Park Press, NJ101.5 and Jersey Shore Online. Finally, they would like to thank all of the law enforcement officials that helped in this case, especially the Lakewood Township Police Department.

 

[mlhenn]

After missing for a week, Lakewood man found dead in parked SUV

Here’s the press release/article the attorney was referring to.


Mendez's body has been found in that same borrowed SUV, in the parking lot of the Wall Township ShopRite, Henninger said Sunday in a written statement.

Wall Township Police are investigating, the attorney said, adding "the family is devastated as this was not the outcome that anyone expected.

Here’s another link
Missing Man's Body Found, Probe Underway | Jersey Shore Online

 

[ammitty]

I wonder if they mean the ShopRite in Manasquan or closer to Belmar. They’re both about 20-25 minutes from Lakewood and Tom’s River.

 

[cass523]

I wonder if they mean the ShopRite in Manasquan or closer to Belmar. They’re both about 20-25 minutes from Lakewood and Tom’s River.

The Press says Wall

ShopRite of Wall Township in Manasquan, NJ.
2433 Highway 34, Manasquan, NJ 08736

WALL - Mauri Mendez, who went missing from Lakewood Aug. 27, was found dead in a car in the parking lot of a ShopRite, his family's attorney announced Sunday.

Missing Lakewood man found dead in Wall, family's attorney says

My local paper, additional info

"Mendez vanished four days before his mother's birthday, and "He would have never disappointed her like that. There was also no falling out that would explain why he would stay away from his family. There is absolutely nothing to explain why Mauri would not come home."

"Loehwing said her brother is set to celebrate his 30th birthday in a couple of weeks and planned to start training for a job in the medical field."

Missing Lakewood man's family renews pleas for help

Condolences to Mauri's Family and Friends

 

[ammitty]

That’s what I thought, because the Belmar-ish one is closer to Lakewood. But when I googled it, it looks like the Manasquan location is called “ShopRite of Wall Township”

 

[cass523]

That’s what I thought, because the Belmar-ish one is closer to Lakewood. But when I googled it, it looks like the Manasquan location is called “ShopRite of Wall Township”

I did the same on google. The one on 35 in Belmar is still open with the address of Wall. I edited my post so many times trying to figure out which one it is. I'm sticking with 34.

 

[YaYa_521]

I hope the investigation brings some definitive answers. Something is not right here...

Rest in peace, Mauri.

 

[cass523]

"Lakewood Police Capt. Gregory Staffordsmith confirmed Wall police located the vehicle Mendez was reported to have been using and found a deceased person inside the vehicle, but said the person’s identity has not yet been confirmed.

Authorities did not find evidence to suggest foul play during a search of the vehicle and surrounding area, Staffordsmith said, but an autopsy being conducted to confirm identity and cause of death may prove otherwise, he said."

Missing N.J. man found dead in car, lawyer says

 

[cass523]

"The family is devastated as this was not the outcome that anyone expected," the attorney, Jef Henninger, wrote in a prepared statement.

Township police discovered Mendez' body around 11 p.m. Saturday, according to the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office. Officers had gone to the Wall Towne Center shopping plaza at 2433 Route 34 "on an unrelated matter when patrol officers were made aware of an abandoned vehicle in the Shop Rite parking lot," Chris Swendeman, a spokesman for the prosecutor's office, said in an email.

"At this time, the death does not appear to be suspicious," Swendeman wrote. "This investigation is ongoing and cause and manner of death are pending the medical examiner's post mortem examination."

Missing Lakewood man found dead in Wall supermarket parking lot

 

[glamourkitty1922]

This is really sad! I hope they get answers quickly for the family's peace of mind. They must be suffering.

 

[evilwise]

There's a website I sometimes browse that auctions off salvage title vehicles and one of the categories vehicles will fall in is "biohazard" which more or less always means someone has died in the car. Whether in an accident or a suicide, I can tell you that 99 times out of 100 they die sitting in the driver's seat. It's so standard that I would think finding a body anywhere else in the car is suspicious.

 

[glamourkitty1922]

I've been searching and I can't find a COD. He had to die of something, he was only 29 years old and looks healthy.