For years the Guardian Angels in New York/New Jersey and Florida have been asked to search for young men who are AUTISTIC and have wandered away from their schools or homes. Then it becomes a race against time. The young Autistic Man might be attracted to railway tracks or water. They are often oblivious to their surroundings and whether there is inclement weather. Many times if they are not found within the first 72 hours ……they sometimes perish.
10 years ago our Guardian Angel Board Member ED MOLDAVER asked us to get involved in the search for an Autistic Young Man in New Jersey. Ed also introduced us to a great organization: AUTISM SPEAKS who we partnered up with them in NY/NJ and in Florida. We have joined them in their annual walks and sessions where they heighten awareness about Autism. Where we are of most help is in joining them within hours of the report of a missing young man with Autism to find him as we race the clock before he falls into harm’s way. Often time the local PD do not get involved in the search right away so we have to fill the void with the family and friends of the missing Autistic Person.
In this AUTISTIC MISSING PERSON CASE Crazy J and his GA Patrol in Coney Island were contacted by the family of Cornell Holmes. The 30 year old would regularly travel on the subway between Coney Island and Red Hook, Brooklyn to go for his Doctor appointments. After getting into an argument with his family in the Red Hook Projects he went missing. Crazy J and his patrol jumped into action. They covered the housing projects in Red Hook and Coney Island where he would normally travel to. They flooded the trains that would go from Red Hook to Coney Island with hundreds of fliers with his picture and identifiable traits and information. He was seen at Coney Island Hospital. The Guardian Angels dropped what they were doing and ran over there. He had just been there but had been discharged by the staff. We hit the area just blocks away from where he was last seen. Wherever we went we got people into the process of being our eyes and ears. One of those people called in a tip that Cornell Holmes was staying at a nearby shelter. His family and the Guardian Angels pinned down the location of the shelter. Because of our and other involved efforts Cornell is now back with his family. His family couldn’t be more grateful to u.
