Body Found in Rio Grande Identified as Missing 15-Year-Old, Death Ruled a Homicide

Cape May County Prosecutor Robert Taylor announced that, following an autopsy, the body of a previously unidentified female that was found in Rio Grande earlier this week has been positively identified as being 15-year-old Nicole Angstadt.

Nicole Angstadt had been reported as a missing person to the Lower Township Police Department on December 1st. According to the Southern Regional Medical Examiners’ Office, the manner of death has been listed as homicide. Because the investigation is still on-going, the Prosecutor's Office does not want to elaborate as to the cause her death, but would like to assure the public that investigators do not believe this to be a random act.

On Monday, December 14th, detectives from the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office and the Lower Township Police Department went to a vacant property at 100 Vermont Avenue and located the decedent in the crawlspace of a house.

An ensuing investigation has lead to the arrest of three males for charges unrelated to the death of Nicole Angstadt.

On Monday, December 14th, 20-year-old LaQuan D. Harris and 23-year-old Derrick Powers, both of Rio Grande, were both charged with two separate armed robberies. An investigation revealed that both Harris and Powers were involved in an armed robbery of nine juveniles in the Villas section of Lower Township on December 5th. On December 8th, both were involved in another armed robbery in Rio Grande that involved a victim being struck with a handgun.

Also on December 14th, the Prosecutor's Office learned that 32-year-old Charles E. Mosley of Rio Grande had a sexual relationship with Nicole Angstadt. As a result, he was charged with sexual assault of a person at least 13 but less than 16 years of age, endangering the welfare of a minor, and trespassing.

Cape May County Prosecutor Robert Taylor would like to emphasize that the investigation into the death of Nicole Angstadt is on-going and no one has been charged as of this date.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Prosecutor’s Office at (609) 465-1135, Lower Township Police at (609) 886-2711 or Middle Township Police at (609) 465-8700.