NJ NJ - Stephen Wardenski, 64, missing from Toms River, 15 Jan 2026

[haggis]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

Stephen Wardenski was last seen on video surveillance leaving his residence on 1/16/26 at approximately 0930 hours, on a bicycle. Video surveillance shows his last known location to be in the area of State Highway 37 and State Highway 166.

Wardenski left his cellular telephone and wallet behind at the residence. Shortly before his disappearance he left family with a large sum of money to take care of his pet bird.

Picture below right shows him leaving his home.

 

[GraceG]

This poor man, his leaving money to care for a beloved pet, speaks volumes. I hope he was just going to go "off grid" but he might have had other intentions.

Without a middle name as a match I can't tie him him to a couple cases in New Jersey that could be related (loss of driving privileges for 10 years due to alcohol offences). That S.W. was cited while living in a town 50+ miles from Toms River so may simply be someone of the same age with the same first/last name.

Ii do hope he reaches out to his worried family soon.