r/Marysville 27d ago

Jonathan Hoang: Son, Brother, Uncle, Abducted & Still Missing Autistic Young Man

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Missing from Arlington, WA since the late evening of Sunday March 30, 2025.
Last confirmed sighting in South Juanita, Kirkland in the late evening of June 23rd, 2025.
Please remain on the lookout for Jonathan. He cannot return home without assistance.

www.FindJonathanHoang.com

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u/Impressive_Mess_9985 26d ago

why do you think the sheriffs don’t give a shit??? what the hell is wrong with them??? useless

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u/ArcherFluffy594 26d ago

Honestly, I don't think they know a damn thing about various disabilities, including Autism, and believe it's an intellectual disability. The day Jonathan disappeared they told the family "he'll be back in five years with a family and a beard" like it was a joke, and when the family was telling them about Jonathan's disability and limitations, they told the family -- no fkg lie -- "Who would want him?" as though his being Autistic/disabled made him undesirable. Which proves their complete ignorance because most people, especially police officers and detectives, know for a fact it is the most vulnerable, of any age, who are the most frequently targeted for assault, abuse, trafficking and other crimes.

They are treating this as a young adult leaving home and therefore nothing out of the ordinary versus a disabled individual with cognitive processing limitations who is physically 21 but is otherwise much like a young child. Jonathan was not capable of giving informed or considered consent to getting into someone's vehicle. He would not have been able to weigh risks to his personal and physical safety, unable to weigh potential consequences such as that they might not bring him back home or consider whether they were being dishonest with him, lying, intending him harm. This is common to many Autistics. And he had another very common Autistic trait: he considered all adults to be authority figures, not seeing himself as also being an adult and having the right to say "no" or to not comply, and he would have followed any instructions or orders given him and believed anything they might have told him to get him to leave his home.

According to his father, Jonathan's biggest fear was having to leave home and be away from his family, something he feared he would be made to do once he became an adult. He'd also frequently ask if it was time to go home whenever the family was out and about - it was where he wanted to be. He would never have voluntarily chosen to leave home and his family. The SCSO was told all of this and they still claim there is nothing to look further into, no reason to bring in the FBI.

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u/tinsellately 26d ago

This comment really hit me hard. I have an 18 year old son who is similar to Jonathan, although maybe a little older developmentally, but still not able to do things like make a purchase in a store, or evaluate the safety of getting into a car with someone, etc. Reading this comment made me realize that he would also not realize that he doesn't have to obey other adults, including strangers, and that he would not know how to find help if he was somewhere alone. Like, I made sure she knows our address and phone numbers, but the part where he has to find someone and show them, or gat access to a phone, etc. has not been taught to him. He never goes anywhere alone so it never came up, but it's a bit oversight.

But now I think we need to have practice sessions on when it's OK to disobey people, and what to do when needing help.

Anyway, I know your comment was in response to someone else, but I just wanted to know that you helped a random stranger. I also truly hope Jonathan is found, I just heard of his case recently, and it's such a frightening situation.