EVERETT — The search has been suspended for a missing 21-year-old man from Arlington, the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Monday.
Jonathan Hoang has been missing since March 30. He was last seen around 7:30 p.m. at his home in Arlington at 114th Dr. NE, wearing a green shirt, khaki pants and black slip-on shoes. Hoang, who is autistic, left barefoot without his cell phone or jacket.
“At this time, the search has been suspended, pending any further tips, evidence recovery, etc.,” said Courtney O’Keefe, spokesperson for the Snohomish County Sheriff’s office.
Saturday’s large-scale search effort included more than 150 volunteers from five county search-and-rescue teams. Ground crews, K-9 units, drones and the SnoHawk 5 helicopter combed through all accessible areas around the home and nearby wooded terrain. In total, over 4,000 volunteer hours were logged across six operational periods last week, O’Keefe said.
“At this time, there is no foul play, or any suspicious activity suspected,” she said. “We have followed up on all leads and checked Jonathan’s electronic devices.”
Irene Pfister, Hoang’s eldest sister, said the case has been referred to the Snohomish County Major Crimes Unit, but the family said they’ve struggled to get updates.
“To me, that designation means nothing because they’re not giving us someone to talk to,” Pfister said Monday. “Essentially, their attitude was, he’s 21, he’s a legal adult. They know he’s disabled. They know he has autism … it just feels like they’re giving up.”
Pfister said it’s unlike Hoang to leave without notice. He typically asks for permission before going on walks, and leaving in the middle of the night is out of character for him.
The family has launched an online fundraiser to raise funds for a private investigator and is organizing a community-led search effort via a Facebook page. As of 5 p.m. Monday, the family had raised nearly $9,000 for the search effort.
In the meantime, Pfister is asking for the public’s help. She is urging people to call local hospitals, homeless shelters — or post flyers in those areas.
Aspen Anderson: 425-339-3192; aspen.anderson@heraldnet.com; X: @aspenwanderson.
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