The Acosta family is urgently seeking help to find 20-year-old Emilio Acosta of Weehawken, N.J., who went missing on Dec. 18, 2025. Surveillance footage tracked him from a Weehawken elementary school to a Shell station in Secaucus and then walking toward MetLife Stadium; his phone last pinged near the stadium. Emilio, who has bipolar disorder and reportedly left without his medication, was wearing a beige Yankees hoodie, gray sweatpants and black Timberlands and carried two backpacks. Anyone with information should call the Weehawken Police at 201-863-7800.
Family Desperate to Find 20-Year-Old Emilio Acosta, Last Seen Near MetLife Stadium
National Missing and Unidentified Persons SystemEmilio Acosta
A Weehawken, N.J., family is urgently asking for the public’s help to locate 20-year-old Emilio Acosta, who has been missing since Dec. 18, 2025, according to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs).
What Happened
Emilio’s parents say they woke around 1:30 a.m. and found him in their bedroom taking two backpacks. He then ran out of the home and did not return. His father searched the neighborhood but was unable to find him, NamUs reports.
Surveillance footage reviewed by authorities places Emilio near an elementary school in Weehawken, later at a Shell gas station in Secaucus, and walking in the direction of MetLife Stadium. Authorities also say his cellphone last pinged in the vicinity of the stadium. Police and search teams have followed multiple leads but so far have not located him.
"We ask the community to take a close look at his picture and if they see him, just communicate directly with the Weehawken Police Department," said Idelfonso Acosta, Emilio’s father.
Health, Clothing and Description
The family says Emilio lives with bipolar disorder and may have experienced a mental health episode when he left home; he reportedly left without his medication. NamUs and family sources say he was last seen wearing a beige hooded sweatshirt with Yankees lettering in navy blue, gray sweatpants, black Timberland boots, and carrying two backpacks — one with a black ski helmet attached.
Authorities describe Emilio as approximately 5'11" tall, weighing between 160 and 180 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.
Family Efforts and How to Help
Family members have posted flyers across Hudson County and are continuing public appeals. Anyone with information about Emilio’s whereabouts is urged to contact the Weehawken Police Department at 201-863-7800. NamUs is listing the case, and local media, including PEOPLE, have reported on the search.
If you or someone you know needs immediate mental health support, text STRENGTH to 741-741 to reach a certified crisis counselor through the Crisis Text Line.
Information in this article is based on family statements, NamUs records and local reporting. Authorities continue to investigate and welcome any credible tips.
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