The captain of a New Jersey college tennis team vanished after leaving her purse and cellphone on a George Washington Bridge walkway.
Paige Aiello, who turned 22 yesterday, was last seen at her parents’ Hillsborough, NJ, home on Tuesday when her father dropped her off from the College of New Jersey, where she is a senior.
Aiello left the house shortly afterward in her mother’s Audi A4, and later that evening, her purse, cellphone and car keys were found on the south walkway of the George Washington Bridge’s upper level.
The car was found a day later in New Brunswick, NJ, leaving her family with no indication about how she traveled then 45 miles to the bridge. Cops are investigating whether she jumped or is faking her disappearance. There is no evidence of foul play.
“You certainly have some indication it’s a suicide by the fact that her purse was found on the bridge,” a law-enforcement source said. “But her body has not been found, and that’s somewhat unusual.”
Aiello’s heartbroken family said she had been struggling with depression, but “seemed OK” on Tuesday.
“We’re trying to get through it — desperately trying to get through it,” dad Chris Aiello said. “It’s a shock.”
Her mom, Robin Aiello, said Paige was on “overload. It was a breakdown.”
Harbor and aviation units have scoured local waterways for two days, but haven’t found a body. Authorities in Jersey also appear to be no closer to finding her.
If Paige did jump, it could take up to a week for her body to wash up as far north as Haverstraw or as far south as Battery Park, sources said.
Aiello is a star player and the captain of the College of New Jersey’s tennis team, where she’s earned multiple awards in both singles and doubles tournaments.
She had reportedly been feeling down about a herniated disc on her neck, which had rendered her unable to play tennis since January.
She also tutored at the college but recently started to feel like the “wasn’t helping the students,” her dad said. “She hit a wall. She was somewhat distraught. She’s a very high achiever.”
He said Paige had been accepted to nine law schools and was set to go to the Rutgers School of Law-Newark in the fall.
“The only issue in college was whether she was graduating summa cum laude or magna cum laude,” he added.
Teammates yesterday remained hopeful that she would return.
“We love you Paige. We’re nothing without you. Come home safe,” wrote Jasmine Muniz-Cadorette on her Facebook page.
Another teammate, Karisse Bendijo, wrote, “Happy Birthday Paige. Come home safely.”
College of New Jersey spokesman Matt Golden said the campus community is filled with “worry and confusion” about what could have caused Aiello’s disappearance.
“This is a girl who’s been a fixture on our campus — she’s a high achiever in a number of different ways, she’s got many close relationships on campus,” he said.
“We’re all very concerned.”
Additional reporting by Jessica Simeone.