Site Logo

Autistic man missing since Monday found 60 miles from home

Published 9:00 pm Wednesday, October 25, 2000

Herald staff

EVERETT — A missing autistic man was found Wednesday after he wandered into Providence Everett Medical Center, some 60 miles north of Auburn where he lives.

Wesley R. James, 64, was in stable condition and was to be released to his caregiver, nursing supervisor Sandy Erpelding said. He lives at an adult care home.

James had left the home late Sunday night or early Monday.

King County officers and volunteers had searched the area around the care home.

A tape from a surveillance camera showed James at the Silver Dollar Tavern in Tukwila around 5 a.m. Monday, Auburn police Cmdr. Bob Karnofski said.

He was spotted at 3 p.m. Tuesday at an Everett store, looking for cigarette butts, Karnofski said, adding he did not know how James traveled to Everett.

  • Pipeline open house: Williams and FPL Energy will host an open house from 4 to 8 tonight at the Best Western Cascadia Inn, 2800 Pacific Ave., to provide information about a proposed power plant in Everett.

    Plans include building a natural gas pipeline to support the plant’s operation. The open house will include information on the proposed gas-fired power plant as well as information on the pipeline route, construction techniques, pipeline safety and environmental issues.

    For more information, call 888-469-1961 or email: everett.

    delta@williams.com

  • Child rapist: A convicted child rapist is moving to the 1100 block of Broadway, Everett police warned.

    Michael John Beckwith, 41, was convicted of first-degree statutory rape in 1984. The victim was a 5-year-old girl whom Beckwith knew. In 1999, Beckwith was convicted of possessing pornography depicting a 12-year-old girl engaged in sexually explicit conduct. That victim was also known to him.

    Beckwith is 5 feet 11 inches tall, 190 pounds, and has brown hair and hazel eyes.

    He did complete sex offender treatment in prison.

  • Option postponed: In the face of stiff opposition, the Snohomish County Council Wednesday postponed until Nov. 22 a decision on whether to take a step toward allowing development of a grocery store and shopping mall adjacent to the Snohomish County Airport at Paine Field.

    A room full of Mukilteo residents, most opposed to the project, protested the county’s consideration of an option for a lease that would allow the proposal to continue. It would be built between the county airport and Highway 527, the Mukilteo Speedway.

    Residents cited increased traffic and storm water, a loss of trees, increased noise and other difficulties if the project proceeds.

    The council vote to delay a decision was 4-1, with Councilman Gary Nelson the lone opponent. Nelson said he was ready to abandon the project now.

  • Inmate swallows cleaner: A prisoner in the Monroe Correctional Complex’s Special Offender Unit was rushed to Valley General Medical Center at 2:07 p.m. Wednesday after drinking Pine-Sol cleaner, said a prison supervisor, Lt. John Richards.

    The man may have consumed the cleaner as part of what he believed was a cleansing ritual, Richards said.

    The man told medics he was not trying to hurt himself, said Monroe Fire Department Battalion Chief Leroy Schwartz.

    Pine-Sol is a product generally used to clean floors and countertops.

    The man was treated and released and is under observation at the prison.

    • You Might Like