02-07-2025
Eerie sight captured on doorbell cam in hunt for vulnerable man with autism who's been missing since March
An eerie doorbell camera sighting has reignited hope in the search for an autistic man who has been missing since March.
Jonathan Hoang, 21, vanished from his home in Arlington, Washington sparking a massive manhunt.
Now footage recorded on June 23 has captured a young man resembling Jonathan walking through a residential neighborhood 44 miles away.
'We still haven't been able to grasp the reality of it,' Jonathan's father, Thao Hoang, told KOMO news. 'Every day we wake up and just wonder where we are and where Jonathan is.'
Jonathan, who has the mental capacity of an 8 or 9-year-old, was last seen around 7:30 p.m. on March 30 at his family's home, according to the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office.
The Washington State Patrol designated him an endangered missing person.
At the time, he was reportedly wearing a green polo shirt, khaki pants, and his mother's black slip-on shoes.
He left without his cellphone or jacket, carrying only his iPad, which does not have cellular data.
'The investigator was frank with us,' said Thao Hoang. 'He said that if he's lost out here without his jacket, the window of survivability decreases every day.'
His family said it is highly unusual for him to leave the house without letting someone know.
'Whenever he goes on walks, he'll come and ask if it's okay to go on a walk and we say that's fine, but he never leaves without saying something,' they told KOMO News.
Although Jonathan is verbal and capable of holding a conversation, his family fears he may struggle to retain crucial information.
'We try to drill him with phone numbers and addresses and things like that, he'll remember short term but those details are not his strong point,' they said.
Search and rescue teams from multiple counties scoured the area in the days following his disappearance, deploying drones, K-9 units, helicopters, and ground crews. But no trace of Jonathan was found.
'There's nothing that shows he walked to the woods, it shows him go up the steps and out to the road but that's his typical walking route,' the family said.
'The facts are very sketchy in that he was here late Sunday past 7:30 and then never seen again.
The family is hopeful the man caught on camera last month may finally lead them to their son.
They say the person not only resembles Jonathan, but shares his familiar mannerisms.
'Just looking at it, how he interacts, really resonates with us, and if we didn't know any better, if he's in front of a house and sees through our Ring video, we would say, "That's Jonathan outside,"' Thao Hoang added.
The family is rallying volunteers to canvass the area and urging residents to check their surveillance cameras, and their backyards, sheds, and garages, for any sign of the missing man.
'He should respond to his name, so if you see someone that resembles Jonathan, you should call 911, you should approach him and ask, "Are you Jonathan?" and he should be able to self-identify,' his sister, Irene Fister said.
She noted that Jonathan has a mole on his right forearm and two small moles on his face, distinct features that could help confirm his identity.
The family is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to Jonathan's safe return.
Local police have confirmed they're reviewing the footage and are working closely with the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office to follow up on any leads.
