N.J. girl, 17, who didn’t come home from school Friday remains missing, family says

Missing N.J. teenager Ashley Combs

Ashley Combs, 17, of Toms River, has been missing since Friday, March 22, 2019. (Photos courtesy: Rob Nieratko)

UPDATE: Ashley Combs was found safe Wednesday evening.

A 17-year-old girl from Toms River who didn’t return home after school on Friday remains missing Monday morning, her family’s attorney said.

Ashley Combs, a senior at Toms River High School North, didn’t take her cell phone with her when she departed for school on Friday, according to Jef Henninger, a TInton Falls-based lawyer.

Henninger said the family and police have checked with her friends, relatives “and all the leads you’d usually check”, but haven’t been able to find her. He added she doesn’t have a pattern of running away from home.

“We’re hoping whoever has her feels the pressure,” he said by phone Monday morning. “You have 24 hours to do the right thing, we’re leaving the door open. Maybe the person has the best possible intentions and is doing this the wrong way.”

Henninger was hired by Rob Nieratko and his wife, who are Ashley’s aunt and uncle as well as legal guardians.

Nieratko has been posting periodic updates about the search for Ashley on Facebook. The posts have been shared thousands of times. He wrote she could be in Freehold, Long Branch, Jackson, Englishtown or Toms River. Ashley was wearing light-colored jeans and a black hoodie on Friday morning, according to Nieratko.

The National Center for Missing and Endangered has also posted on Ashley’s disappearance and she is registered with the National Crime Information Center.

Henninger released a statement asking for the girl to be dropped off at a police station.

“If she is not returned by 9 a.m. on Tuesday, the family will not stop until she is found and she will be found. When that happens, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Henninger said. "You cannot even begin to comprehend the legal nightmare that you could be facing. I encourage you for Ashley’s sake and your own family’s sake to do the right thing before Tuesday morning.”

Toms River police said Monday that they are investigating. They added she might be with a friend and don’t consider her disappearance suspicious.

Anyone with information is asked to call Toms River police at 732-349-0150.

NJ Advance Media staff writer Sophie Nieto-Munoz contributed to this story

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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