Missing Hackettstown woman found in NYC

HACKETTSTOWN – The Hackettstown woman missing since Sunday has been located unharmed in New York City Thursday evening, Hackettstown police said.

Hackettstown Sgt. Darren Tynan said 24-year-old Krysten Mednez was found in the Elmhurst section of Queens, New York at about 7 p.m. Thursday.

Police located her nearly a day after she had made a call to a family member shortly after midnight Thursday to tell them she riding the J train subway in New York City.

Mendez was not staying with anyone in Queens and was waiting for family members to pick her up as of Thursday night, Tynan said.

The family member told police Mendez was lost and sounded upset on the phone Thursday morning, police said.

The J train runs in Queens, and Mendez's phone records show she also placed a call Sunday from the Briarwood section of Queens at 12:34 p.m. Tuesday, police said.

People were cautioned to notify police if they saw Mendez, but not to approach her due to her "mental impairment." Police could not clarify what that meant due to federal health privacy regulations.

Mendez left her Sharp Street Hackettstown home at about 10:30 a.m. Sunday with two black and white "duffel bag-type purses," and the matter was not treated as suspicious by police..

Staff Writer Michael Izzo: 973-428-6636; mizzo@dailyrecord.com