Rutgers University student vanishes after hitching ride with acquaintance who terrorized him: family
A 22‑year‑old Rutgers senior, Mortimer “Morty” Wortman IV, vanished after more than two weeks and was last documented hitching a ride with someone the Wortman family says was arrested for threatening him with a knife during the summer. In surveillance footage taken on the evening of November 21 at the Regional Day School parking lot in Jackson, New Jersey, Morty is seen getting into a vehicle, after which both of them drive off. The vehicle was later located at the same parking lot, according to local news.
His family claimed that the driver, whom they insist threatened Morty during a July incident, was the person who reported him missing on November 22. Morty’s father, Mortimer Wortman III, told CBS News that his son had chased the driver around town in Point Pleasant, the driver was arrested by the public, but was released without bail. Morty’s brother, Ivan Marks, suggested his little brother might have been persuaded or coerced into the car, writing, “I think my little brother is — he likes to see the best in people, and I’m sure he could have been coerced or persuaded to, you know, get in the vehicle.”
The driver in question, identified by News 12 New Jersey as Adam Zalouk, has a pending hearing for the alleged knife‑wielding case that was postponed at the Ocean County Courthouse. Zalouk faced charges related to a July incident in which he allegedly threatened Wortm with a knife, rammed the rear of his car, and vandalized it. No charges have yet linked Zalouk to Morty’s disappearance, and he has not been named a suspect.
While the Wortman family has never met Zalouk themselves, they insist he was stalking their son—they said, “I just know that he was hanging around the house. That’s all I know.” The family maintains that they are conducting daily searches in the 1,200‑acre woods near the school where Morty was last seen and remain hopeful that he is alive somewhere. Ivan Marks said, “We’re very hopeful. My family and I are very hopeful. We believe he is alive somewhere. We have a lot of faith.” Mortimer III added, “Mortimer’s a great kid, loves nature, very humble. I want him home. Our family wants him home.”
University officials at Rutgers have assured the public that they are working “closely” with police, combing campus grounds for any clues about Morty’s whereabouts. The campus released a Facebook post stating, “Our thoughts are with Rutgers–New Brunswick student Mortimer ‘Morty’ Wortman and his loved ones during this difficult time. We are seeking any and all information that could help locate Morty,” and urged anyone with information to come forward.
At the time he was last seen, Morty was wearing a black T‑shirt under a burgundy hoodie, blue jeans, and had several distinctive piercings, including one on his nose. He is currently listed as “endangered” by the Jackson Police Department.
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