A New Jersey man who admitted to threatening a missing Rutgers University student with a knife walked free from court Monday with no jail time, sparking outrage from the victim’s family, who believe he knows what happened to their son.

The Guilty Plea and Sweet Deal

Adam Zalouk pleaded guilty to third-degree terroristic threats against a 22-year-old landscape architecture student in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. The July 2025 incident involved Zalouk chasing the student with a knife and carving the word “slut” into his car after the student allegedly rejected him, according to police reports. Despite the serious charges, Zalouk received pre-trial intervention with zero jail time. Prosecutors dropped accompanying weapons and criminal mischief charges entirely. The victim’s family sat in court holding missing person posters, watching the man they believe holds answers to their son’s disappearance walk away unpunished.

Last Person to See Him Alive

The Rutgers senior vanished in November 2025 after getting into Zalouk’s vehicle. Zalouk waited 18 hours before reporting him missing, telling investigators the two fought and the student got out of the car and wandered into nearby woods. The missing student’s car was found in the same parking lot the following day. Three months later, authorities are offering a ten thousand dollar reward for information about his whereabouts. The victim’s father addressed the judge directly, stating he truly believes Zalouk knows where his son is located and has been stalking him.

A Pattern of Stalking Behavior

Friends and family describe a disturbing pattern of threatening behavior. About one week before the disappearance, the victim’s father spotted Zalouk’s white car lurking outside their family home. When the father alerted his son, the young man jumped out of bed scared and told his parents to make sure all doors were locked. Ocean County prosecutors admitted they were hamstrung in the case because the victim was not present to testify against his alleged stalker. Zalouk’s father was caught tearing down missing person posters on Staten Island, admitting he removed them because his son’s face appeared on them.

Family Refuses to Give Up

The victim’s mother told reporters her toddler daughter asks daily where her brother is. She and her husband take turns crying to stay strong for their youngest child. Despite disappointment with the prosecution outcome, the mother said this is not the end and expressed hope that Zalouk will mess up again. A close friend has devoted his Instagram account to finding the missing student, stating the only person who could reveal the truth remains free and silent. Zalouk has not been charged in connection with the disappearance and could not be reached for comment.