A man who went missing Wednesday morning is home safe with his family thanks to Los Angeles County’s L.A. Found program.
Aaron Chatham, a 44-year-old man with autism and developmental disabilities, wandered away from his caretaker at a medical facility in Pasadena this morning. Luckily, Chatham is enrolled in L.A. Found—a program launched last year by the County of Los Angeles which aims to locate people with autism, dementia, or Alzheimer’s who wander and go missing. The County provided Chatham’s caregivers with a Project Lifesaver trackable bracelet with a unique radio signal that can be picked up by LA County Sheriff’s Department receivers if the person goes missing.
After Chatham’s caretakers called the L.A. Found hotline to report a missing person at 10:00 am, five LA Sheriff’s ground units, including a Mental Evaluation Team (MET) were sent to the area where he was last seen. Deputies were preparing to activate the Project Lifesaver receiver but, thankfully, located him soon after arriving on scene. MET Deputy John Yateem located Chatham after recognizing him as an individual matching Chatham’s description wearing a Project Lifesaver bracelet. Shortly after, Deputy Yateem was able to reunite Chatham with his caretaker.
“Aaron is home safe because of L.A. Found and the quick action of our LA County Sheriff’s Department,” said LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn, who shepherded the creation of L.A. Found. “This program works. If you have loved one who suffers from Alzheimer’s, dementia, or autism, I encourage you to learn more about L.A. Found and see if a trackable bracelet is right for your family.”
“In Pasadena and across our county, L.A. Found is helping bring people with autism home quickly and safely,” said LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “Thanks also to our LASD deputies, especially our MET teams, and civic partners for implementing this lifesaving resource for our communities.”
Aaron Chatham is the fourth person found with L.A. Found since the program launched in September 2018.
About L.A. Found
Wandering is a common problem associated with dementia, Alzheimer’s, and autism. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 60% of people with dementia will wander at some point while a study by the Interactive Autism Network found that 49% of children with autism will engage in wandering behavior. While the vast majority of these individuals are recovered, wandering cases can end in tragedy. L.A. Found is a program established by the LA County Board of Supervisors in 2018 which aims to find people who wander quickly and reunite them with their families. To learn more about the program and apply for a free trackable bracelet, caregivers can visit LAFound.com.
COMMENT POLICY: We welcome comments from individuals and businesses. All comments are moderated. Comments are subject to rejection if they are vulgar, combative, or in poor taste.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed 19 new deaths throughout L.A. County, 3,995 new cases countywide and 112 new cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.
Work along the I-5 corridor in Burbank continues and will include nighttime lane reductions and the closing of the Verdugo Avenue off-ramp during the week of Aug. 15 to Aug. 18.
As the summer travel season wraps up, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reminds drivers to be responsible and never drive under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
The county of Los Angeles Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission is hosting a Special Hearing on Deputy Gangs in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed 19 new deaths throughout L.A. County, 3,995 new cases countywide and 112 new cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.
Marvel Comics’ best-known, tree-like sentient being, Groot, a character that became widely popular through the action comedy "Guardians of the Galaxy," gets his own animated show on Disney+ this week.
Work along the I-5 corridor in Burbank continues and will include nighttime lane reductions and the closing of the Verdugo Avenue off-ramp during the week of Aug. 15 to Aug. 18.
As part of his legislative package calling on accountability, transparency, and integrity in the state government's procurement process, Senator Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, announced Senate Bill 1271 (SB 1271) passed out of the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Aug. 11.
Princess Cruises today announced updated COVID-19 protocols and guidelines, removing the vaccine requirement for most voyages of less than 16 days so that anyone can cruise and adjusting pre-travel testing requirements to make it less complicated.
As the summer travel season wraps up, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reminds drivers to be responsible and never drive under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
Historically, California has been the most wildfire prone state in the United States. In 2021, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, reported over 4,000 fires that burned 60,507 acres across the state.
The county of Los Angeles Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission is hosting a Special Hearing on Deputy Gangs in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
As local students get ready to head back to class for the new school year, your Salvation Army Santa Clarita Corps wants to ensure they have the supplies and resources necessary for success.
The Rancho Camulos National Historic Landmark Presents: "Sundays at the Landmark" on Sunday, Aug. 28, with Dave Berg. He will present "Stories to Share.
The WiSH Education Foundation's much-anticipated Cocktails on the Roof event is back for the community to enjoy on Saturday, Nov. 19, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Subaru of Valencia campus.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed Thursday no additional deaths and 107 new cases in the Santa Clarita Valley, with a total of 15 new deaths and 4,345 new cases countywide.
The California Department of Transportation announces overnight full closures of Interstate 210 in the San Fernando Valley for striping and staging of a temporary lane configuration for a paving project.
Tweet This
Facebook
Digg This
Bookmark
Stumble
RSS
Aaron Chatham, a 44-year-old man with autism and developmental disabilities, wandered away from his caretaker at a medical facility in Pasadena this morning. Luckily, Chatham is enrolled in L.A. Found—a program launched last year by the County of Los Angeles which aims to locate people with autism, dementia, or Alzheimer’s who wander and go missing. The County provided Chatham’s caregivers with a Project Lifesaver trackable bracelet with a unique radio signal that can be picked up by LA County Sheriff’s Department receivers if the person goes missing.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.
0 Comments
You can be the first one to leave a comment.