Jonathan Hoang’s household is making a determined plea to assist deliver him dwelling three months after he disappeared from his home in Arlington, Washington.
Hoang was final seen by his household as he was heading to mattress on the night time of March 30 at round 7:30 p.m., however the subsequent morning, the 21-year-old was gone. The one different factor lacking from his room was his iPad. Jonathan, who’s autistic, had only recently realized tips on how to sort a textual content message and doesn’t know tips on how to get round by himself. His household additionally famous that Jonathan has medicines he must be taking.
Following Jonathan’s disappearance, the Snohomish County Sheriff’s workplace launched a six-day seek for him with greater than 100 individuals out surveying the realm together with drones and canines. Police say there is no such thing as a proof to counsel foul play in Jonathan’s disappearance; nevertheless, his household believes he was kidnapped.
“We’re assured at this cut-off date that he’s been kidnapped,” his sister, Irene Pfister, solely tells In Contact Investigates‘ Kristin Thorne. “We simply don’t know who took him or why they took him.”
“It was like he was simply ripped out of his life,” she continues. “There’s no proof that he packed for a visit. There’s nothing that we are able to discover that he was planning to go away. He was simply studying tips on how to talk by way of textual content and electronic mail. Didn’t understand how cash labored. Didn’t know tips on how to deal with cash.”
Pfister says there’s “no approach” her brother may have left dwelling “with out help or teaching or steering,” as he has by no means been “away from his household” earlier than. The household is “sure” that somebody took Jonathan.
She described her brother as a “homebody” who appreciated his “secure areas and locations.” Pfister mentioned Jonathan would by no means depart the home with out his consolation merchandise, which is a jacket with a hood. Nonetheless, on this occasion, all of Jonathan’s jackets are nonetheless at dwelling.
“We’re assured that they received a maintain of him on his iPad in order that knowledge is de facto crucial,” Pfister provides of the potential he was lured away from his dwelling by somebody.
Sadly, police mentioned that Apple was not in a position to ping Jonathan’s iPad and get crucial info resulting from a scarcity of cell knowledge. Pfister says the household employed a personal investigator and a lawyer to look into the matter however have nonetheless been unable to gather info from Apple regardless of a choose approving a subpoena.
Pfister says that the household has “a number of individuals of curiosity” relating to who they assume may have presumably taken Jonathan from his dwelling. Police have been adamant {that a} crime was not dedicated, subsequently stopping them from bringing anybody in for questioning.
“Any info we now have, we’re funneling to them,” Pfister says of the police. “We don’t know what they’re doing with it. It’s attainable they’re investigating, however they preserve saying they’re doing all they’ll. The detective that’s dealing with the case has nonetheless not been out to our dwelling, has nonetheless not been out to our neighborhood, has not talked to the neighbors that stay close to us. How is that doing every little thing you possibly can?”
Jonathan’s household arrange a GoFundMe to gather crucial funds for his or her continued search efforts.
A reward for locating Jonathan was initially set at $10,000, however a person named Earl Stewart of Lake Park, Florida, determined so as to add $90,000 to the fund after seeing the case featured on Dateline. The reward now stands at $100,000.
“It’s been actually, actually, actually onerous,” Jonathan’s father, Thao Hoang, informed Dateline. “I don’t know if we are able to stand it for much longer — however we now have to. We should be right here when he’s discovered, so there’s actually no alternative.”
The household received a hopeful replace in early July when an individual believed to be Jonathan was seen on dwelling surveillance footage in Kirkland, Washington.
“That is the very best lead and the very best hope we’ve had since his disappearance,” Thao mentioned, per Fox 13 Seattle.
Pfister urged individuals to proceed trying to find Jonathan and to say one thing if they’ve any leads.
“Time is crucial,” she mentioned. “If you happen to assume you see him, don’t hesitate to name 911, to take a photograph or a video and to strategy them and ask if they’re Jonathan.”
