PATCHOGUE, NY – Authorities and community members are searching for 14-year-old Emmarae Gervasi, a Patchogue teenager who has been missing since December 9. Emmarae was last seen barefoot and without a jacket, leaving her Terrell Street home to retrieve something from a car. Surveillance footage later showed her entering a blue Honda, which drove away.
Her ankle monitor, part of the county’s Persons in Need of Supervision (PINS) program, was found removed and discarded a block away from her home. The last confirmed sighting of Emmarae occurred around 2 a.m. on December 10, when surveillance cameras captured her knocking on doors at the Starwood Inn in Bohemia near MacArthur Airport. She then disappeared, with no further sightings captured on cameras.
According to a story on Greater Patchogue (Greater Long Island), Emmarae is a key witness in a Suffolk County felony case involving two defendants currently awaiting trial. Her father, Frank Gervasi, has expressed concerns that she may be held against her will or otherwise prevented from returning home. Despite the lack of confirmed information, Frank continues to work with Suffolk County investigators and has been independently following leads to find his daughter.
Emmarae’s family has revealed her history of personal struggles, including childhood trauma and addiction, which have been compounded by past instances of exploitation and manipulation by adults. Though she has run away in the past, her extended absence is unprecedented and deeply concerning to her family.
A $15,000 reward (Originally reported as $10,000 NBC New York weeks ago) is being offered for information leading to Emmarae’s safe return. Community members have rallied to assist in the search, with a coordinated effort planned in the Mastic-Shirley area on New Year’s Eve. The search party will begin at 1 p.m. in front of the Applebee’s on Montauk Highway in Shirley.
Anyone with information about Emmarae’s whereabouts is urged to contact local authorities immediately. The case remains under investigation, with law enforcement working to determine her location and the circumstances of her disappearance. Her family continues to hope for her safe return.
