A California man who was reported missing 25 years ago is set to be reunited with his sister after a USA TODAY article published in May alerted the woman to her sibling’s whereabouts, authorities announced.
The report, which sought to identify an unknown patient at a Los Angeles County hospital, was sent to the woman by a friend of hers, the Lassen County Sheriff’s Office in Northern California confirmed on Facebook.
The patient was discovered in South Los Angeles on April 15 and taken to the St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, California, USA TODAY previously reported.
Officials at the hospital asked for the public’s assistance in identifying the man, who is non-verbal and could not communicate his name.
For the next six months, the hospital’s social services department was unable to reach any family members for the patient. That all changed on Friday, when his sister told the Lassen County Sheriff’s Office that she believed the unidentified patient was her long lost brother.
The St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, California are hoping to identity a patient they found in South Los Angeles on April 15, 2024.
The sheriff’s office has not revealed the name of the man or his family members, citing privacy for the family. Information regarding his health status have also been withheld due to patient confidentiality laws. USA TODAY has reached out to the Lassen County Sheriff’s Office and the St. Francis Medical Center for additional information.
Brother reported missing in 1999
The man was reported missing from Doyle, California in 1999 and not heard from since, his sister told the sheriff’s office.
Sheriff’s Deputy Derek Kennemore contacted the hospital, where staff told him the patient had been transferred to different hospital. The second hospital confirmed that the man was in their care and matched the description of the missing person, according to the sheriff’s office.
His identity was later confirmed through a fingerprint test conducted by the Los Angeles Police Department, according to the Lassen County Sheriff’s Office.
“The family will be reunited soon,” the office wrote. “The Lassen County Sheriff’s Office would like to commend Deputy Kennemore on his tenacity with this case. We would also like to thank the Los Angles Police Department for their assistance in identifying the missing man and closing out this 25 year old case.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Man missing since 1999 to reunite with sister after USA TODAY report