Autistic Teen Found After Disappearing From His Long Island Home
FRANKLIN SQUARE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Authorities say a missing autistic teen has been found after disappearing from his Long Island home early Tuesday morning.
Eighteen-year-old Joseph Barbella had last been seen around 3 a.m. on Commonwealth Street in Franklin Square.
"He is what is known as an 'eloper,' he sometimes runs away from his family," Town of Hempstead Supervisor Laura Gillen said. "So we ask everybody in the Franklin Square vicinity, if you would please go out and look in your back yards, look in your sheds, behind fences and see if you can find this young man."
This was not the first time the teen has gone missing. In February, he disappeared while with his mother at Malverne's San-Dee Lanes bowling alley. He was later found in a backyard about a mile away after spending the night in the freezing cold.
In January of last year, he went missing in the middle of a storm. He was found 12 hours later in a neighbor's backyard shed five blocks away from his home.
Gillen said Tuesday authorities wanted to find Barbella before Wednesday's nor'easter that forecasters say could dump 11 to 15 inches of snow in Nassau County.
"We really want to find him before the snow storm starts," she said. "So please, everybody if you could just be mindful and vigilant and have a lookout for this young man Joseph. He also responds to the name Mike, he likes the name Mike as well. So call Joseph, call Mike and maybe you can help us find this young man."
There was no word on where he was found.
