Ex-Penn track athlete reported missing in N.J.

A former member of the University of Pennsylvania's track and field team who was charged in a vandalism spree this fall has been reported missing from his North Jersey hometown.

Teaneck police said 20-year-old Timothy Hamlett's parents reported him missing to authorities on Sunday after they hadn't seen or heard from him in several days.

Hamlett was last seen at his residence in Teaneck on Dec. 26, Detective Lt. Andrew McGurr said.

He told his family he was going somewhere locally, but never returned, prompting his parents to contact police two days later.

Hamlett was in the news this fall when he was charged with aggravated assault and criminal mischief for a series of alleged brick-throwing vandalism incidents.

After the charges were filed, a school athletics official told The Daily Pennsylvanian, Penn's student newspaper, that Hamlett was no longer a member of the track program. He was a sprinter and middle-distance runner on the team from 2012 to 2014 and had been a star high school athlete at Don Bosco Prep.

A missing-person alert being circulated Sunday said Hamlett is on leave from Penn. He is no longer listed in the university's directory.

McGurr said investigators believe Hamlett may be in the Washington Heights area of New York City and no foul play is suspected in his disappearance.

"There's no reason to think it's suspicious at all," he said.

Hamlett may also have been near the George Washington Bridge, according to the missing-person flier, which appears to have been distributed by friends and family. His cellphone no longer has power, the alert says.

Hamlett is black, 6 feet tall and was last seen wearing True Religion jeans, a blue/purple zip-up Adidas shirt and sneakers.

Anyone with information is asked to call 917-686-0087 or 201-406-6990.